Soul's Nocturne
by PreseatheKitsune
Summary: It will slaughter as many people as it can without remorse; the black flames that will consume and soon destroy Inaba. With a new string of murders, the Investigation Team must reunite and reveal the truth of the TV realm before Inaba crumbles.
1. Chapter 1

Me: I said I would be back again. Despite the title, I will say this once and for all. This is **NOT** a crossover with Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. Nocturne is in the title, but just because that is so doesn't necessarily mean Nocturne is required in this story. Anyway, I hope you readers enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 4 since it belongs to Atlus.

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Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 1

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Gray eyes reflected everything. In this heavenly world, the striped figure hovered before him with its gear-like halo and robe fluttering as it lazily swung back and forth, drained from the extent of battle. It wasn't the only one though; his eyes darted around. His party too was drained, resting on knees, shields, and shaking legs, but telling themselves to continue within their minds. Their personas fueled them to stand on weary limb and hold steady as the striped creature moved to attack.

"_This isn't good! Can someone please heal Chie-senpai?"_

"I got it," he answered calmly as he usually did, lowering his sword. He raised a hand, warmth flooding him as a card came to his hold. He snapped his hand into a fist, yelling, "Persona!"

The warmth from him flooded out as a purple-skinned woman with silver markings raised two blades and crossed them, rising to the sky. He heard sighs of relief as his own energy lowered considerably, but he didn't mind. That's what happened when one casted Mediarahan. He shook his head and nodded, "Kanji, Vile Assault. Yosuke, follow up with Garudyne while it's still strong. Chie, while they're doing that, Power Charge and at the first opening, use Black Spot. If he tries attacking, Naoto, Yukiko, or Teddie, you have to counter. He's on his last legs. Don't give him anymore chances."

"Got it senpai!" Kanji exclaimed and moved first. His glasses glinted as the brilliant blue card fell before his eyes and he heaved his shield around, "Crush 'em, Rokuten Maoh!"

"Yosuke, go!" Souji yelled as the giant - almost robotic - flaming persona manifested and raised its red and orange curved sword.

"Alright then partner! Take this!" Yosuke hollered. His glasses glared at the card before him and he flipped, cutting the card with his daggers just as Rokuten Maoh swung down. The striped shadow, Kunino-sagiri, cringed at the blow and then stunned at the sudden assault of wind.

"This is our chance!" Chie hissed as sparks burst around her. She pushed her glasses down the bridge of her nose slightly as the cards fell before her eyes. Kunino-sagiri was getting ready to attack as she crouched.

"Sukuna-Hikona!"

A card shattered behind the front line four and all that could be seen was a blur of white from the beam sword as the tiny, insect persona flashed forward, arc leaving a trail as it swung, halting Kunino-sagiri's attack.

"Go!" Chie cried, card breaking on contact with her heel. Red, double-bladed naginata twirled as the black-and-white armored persona leapt forward. An explosion burst before Kunino-sagiri and he let out a grunt. Souji frowned. That still wasn't enough.

"_Ah! It's about to attack!"_

"Hear me, Amaterasu!"

The ougi sliced the card cleanly, the shards scattering as the shining sun goddess appeared, metallic feathers spreading as fire blasted on Kunino-sagiri. The crimson gears started lurching on its head as they began to stop turning, the shadow's eyes closing from exhaustion. Its body descended to the ground and soon crumbled, dispersing in a multitude of black and red smoke. The platform cleared and, gradually, everyone lowered their guard, staring at the spent form of Namatame as he reappeared in his delivery uniform. He was hunched forward, panting, "D-Dammit… why…?"

That was all he could gasp out before his dusty brown eyes rolled back and his knees buckled. They hit the ground and he collapsed, landing with a thump on his stomach, his feet bouncing and striking again with a sharp click. Souji stared at the man as he lay there, his own breathing heavy, but collected until…

"N-Nanako-chan!"

The yell slammed reality back and he turned at Rise's yell. Everyone had gathered around her and his cousin; the major reason they had sprung into the TV. Yosuke, Kanji, Naoto, Yukiko, Chie, and Teddie only stared as Rise held Nanako carefully. The little girl's face was contorted, her eyes shut tightly and her eyebrows furrowed, curled upwards as she trembled. He ran over, worry blooming in his chest, "How is she?"

"She looks like she's in pain… but she doesn't seem injured anywhere…" Rise replied, concerned.

Teddie's eyes sharpened and he scowled, "This place is not good for her… We need to carry her out, quick!"

Nobody said a word, but instead, nodded in agreement. Souji bent to the ground, scooping Nanako's prone form into his arms and rose to his feet, sprinting down the stairs with several pairs of feet accompanying him as Yukiko, Chie, Rise, and Teddie followed. Yosuke, Kanji, and Naoto hung back, turning back to Namatame's unconscious figure. Naoto was the first to speak up, "We should take him with us as well."

"Yeah… We can't just leave him here, I guess," Yosuke said, though, his voice rang opposite. What he wouldn't do to leave this man behind in all honesty. Kanji was just silent, waiting for a decision to be made. He noticed Yosuke uncross his arms and walk onto the platform to Namatame's body. Kanji followed without a word and knelt down as Yosuke did, looping an arm behind Namatame's back as they hoisted him up. Naoto watched as they walked back and passed her, teetering occasionally due to the height differences between boys.

"Kanji kneel down a bit," Yosuke grumbled, almost tripping as more weight shifted to Kanji's side. Kanji glared a bit, refusing to kneel since it would just throw off his own weight. Naoto shook her head, about to follow them, but paused, looking over her shoulder at the platform. She heard some kind of snapping sound like a spark, but it was so brief, she wasn't one hundred percent positive. A yell made her turn away and back to Yosuke and Kanji. For some reason, their senpai was on the ground while Kanji was still holding Namatame up. Yosuke glared up at Kanji, "Dammit! We need to hurry! Just… toss him over your shoulder or something!"

"He's too heavy for me to get all the way down," Kanji grumbled, shaking his head. Naoto rolled her eyes and reached into her pocket.

"I have a Goho-M for emergencies, but this is enough. You two are wasting too much time," she said, holding the little gem in her fist. Neither boy said anything. Yosuke rose to his feet and dusted his clothes off, seizing Namatame's other arm while she moved closer to them. Just as she was about to activate it, she heard the snap again. "… Did either of you hear something?"

"Like what?" Kanji asked.

Yosuke shook his head, "No. Naoto-kun, I don't think we have time for noises anyway. We have to go see if Nanako-chan is okay."

She nodded with some reluctance and raised the Goho-M in hand. Light engulfed the four of them and, with a flash, they disappeared.

Time passed as Heaven intended, silence broken occasionally by sharp snaps. As night fell, they progressively became worse; louder and darkening the thick fog at the center of the platform. The shadow particles of the vanquished Kunino-sagiri were returning, swirling clockwise, joining together at the central point. They flattened down, forcibly splitting the stone, tearing into it as a black space opened, red sparks dancing around the edges. Even in Heaven, it was causing rumbling throughout the TV realm. Other dungeons rearranged to lessen the damages done while shadows scurried into hiding, cracks following in their wake.

Claws reached from the black void, digging into the rubble as effortlessly as grabbing soft earth. One shot up and grasped more as they dragged their body up, out of the space that now devoured whatever fell in. Shoulders, torso, flank, almost animalistic in form as the legs curved backwards and down, causing a hunched stature. The claws tore minute cracks into the stone as the creature moved away from the void which reversed, starting to shut. It didn't matter; the damage was already done and would be repaired in several hours.

Its body crackled like fire, it body darker than the twilight casted in the fog-covered Heaven. Two, gleaming ruby eyes opened and it craned its neck leisurely, vision piercing through a minimal amount of fog. The void released a sudden wave of energy through the TV once again, quakes shaking the other planes and the creature was gone in a flicker of its ruby eyes.

Beyond the TV, she bit her lip, her hand balling into a fist. She felt the tremor, the power that shook HER world. _'Namatame… he failed to contain the gift I gave him.'_

This wasn't working in her favor. She should've chosen someone more competent of containing it such as that new kid or that detective. Still, it didn't matter. As long as she remained, the fog would remain, obscuring the truth within the TV. There was no chance though. Those kids were slow to take onto Namatame; she smirked. They would never make it in time. Both this world and the other would be lost in the fog. She had been planning this before her sister Nyx, it was only right she succeed instead of her. Heh, to be defeated and then sealed by a brat, but then again, Nyx probably didn't care. It was all Erebus's idea she come down in the first place.

"Hey! We have a customer! Stop standing around!"

Resisting the urge to glare at her human boss, she forced a smile, "Oh, sorry sir! I'm right on it!"

Her footsteps struck the ground and she briefly remembered the pain from all those years back. The claws ripping into her undying flesh, her seal that stalled him near death… the tears that fell against the cold earth that would soon be no more.

This… what she did was for the better of humanity and her siblings. They were just in the way; they were just foolish. She placed the gas nozzle back into its holder, biding good evening to the driver as they got in the car and drove away. No acknowledgement; just like humans.

"… _Whe…re…?"_

"Nowhere you'll ever reach."

"_I-Iza-nami."_

"You struggle to even speak. That human had more control than I thought," she hissed, slipping her hands into her uniform's pocket. She could see the growl, the furious ruby eyes flickering in the fog as they searched around. She smiled, "Having a hard time? You're trapped in this world alone. Never again will you---"

She disappeared back, the claws swiping at air before being swallowed in the thickening fog.

"How uncouth of you."

Nothing responded, but a bestial growl which slowly faded. Her smile twisted into a smirk, "You'll never find what you seek. In that Hell that envelopes the truth, so shall you remain."

"_You… fall…"_

"I will never fall," she growled and turned away from it, tilting her cap down. That beast beyond her control; that form of power borrowed from a place sealed to them. The very place that, while she had gone there to accept it, she tore out of it due to a Fool. Her grip tightened on the brim of her hat, but outwardly, she remained calm. Her smirk returned as she walked back to the small office. It was flawless…

"_F-Fa…il…"_

Failure… Not her. She wouldn't fail. She couldn't. That… abomination and the rest of them would remain lost in the fog. Namatame fell, she still had Adachi… she could still persuade Souji. Izanami's crimson eyes flashed.

"Father… you'll never leave that place," she whispered under her breath. A roar from beyond the TV burst in her ears, but she just bared it and continued on with her undercover disguise.

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Me: More next chapter. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus. I have no rights to it at all.

Note: This story will be moved to the crossover section at chapter 4. Just a warning ahead of time.

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Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 2

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To be able to reach her… after all these months; they proved to be much more determined than she first suspected. No matter, they couldn't defeat her. They had accepted death's cold hands to save Souji, but to no benefit. Death was under her thumb; she came back after accepting it. It had no hold on her, just like in the past. Now, she could move on to the other world and envelope it within fog as well.

"_I…za… nami…"_

She turned her skeletal head to the red and black tower behind her. Claws buried into the arching building, ruby eyes staring back at her empty sockets, the burning creature stared at her, growling lowly. She clicked her bony teeth, **"Ah, Father. So you found your way around in the fog. Congratulations, but I'm afraid there's no point. You cannot stop me."**

"_F-F… ail…"_

"**I have not failed. Humanity is in my grasp now. These kids were nothing more than a minor distraction,"** she replied, turning back. In truth, it was only one still before her. The others she had casted away to the dark void of death. Souji lay on the ground; his eyes shut tightly, his body cold and his limbs splayed. **"I'm sure you know the feeling of Death. It embraces you as a familiar, Father. It's time to accept it along with everyone else…"**

The flaming shadow didn't reply, but leapt away with great speed, disappearing in the boundless fog. Watching after him, she turned back, but then gasped. Souji was staggering to his feet, his hand clenched firmly around his sword's grip. The sole of his shoes clicked as he straightened himself and stepped forward, dusting the front of his shirt clean. Without a word, she acted instead, summoning the hands to take him back to the Netherworld; to join his friends, but…

"**Impossible… can the will of so few surpass all the will of mankind!?" **she exclaimed, shocked as the hands were repelled from Souji's person, returning from whence they came. He remained silent while she raised her many skeletal red hands, casting Oho Ikazuchi on him. The hail of lightening drew a grunt from his lips and his knee hit the ground. She thought he would fall over from the attack, but she was horrified as he just stood up again, doubled over as he regained his breath. Enraged, she casted it once more, yet he just rose again. No! She could feel it now! Damn her father! He had distracted her from sensing it! This boy… the power she had given him that year previous…

"**How can your powers rival mine…?" **she hissed, hands slamming down around him. He didn't flinch nor buckle as she casted Oho Ikazuchi again and again, trying to get him down, but he stood his ground, the grip on his sword still tight. **"Why…? Why don't you understand…? It's impossible for humans to grasp the truth with their own hands…"**

She was frozen in place as he dropped his sword and stood full height. Raising a hand, he reached up, taking hold of his glasses and peeled them off his face. Turning and closing his eyes, his arm snapped out to the side, tossing away the glasses and raised his hand high. The pressure and aura around him increased; power welling throughout his entire body. A card floated down from the air, engulfed in blue-bell flames as it entered his palm. His eyes shot up to meet Izanami and called out:

"Izanagi-no-Okami!"

"…**!!!"** she had gasped out loud at the name. That god-forsaken name…! That bastard; that fool; that cretin! And yet, as the figure garbed in a white coat, metallic mask covering his face except for his eyes, began to twirl his spear, she could only gaze at him. A ring of light formed and contracted, power swelling as it gathered at a focus point. Souji tossed his hand back and pointed, "Myriad Truths!"

Beams of light struck and tore at her scarlet bones. She shrieked at each strike and each explosion against her, slowly falling to the ground. As she fell, bodies began to reappear; Souji's fallen comrades. Yosuke was the first to awaken, groaning and getting to his feet as the tremors rocked the ground, causing everyone to stir. Yukiko stood next, closing her ougi and staring up at Izanami. Chie rose, then Kanji, Rise, Naoto, and Teddie. That bear… that shadow who wanted to be human…

Izanami's body locked, shaking and her tiny form collapsed onto the fragile ribcage to stay up. Her small arms trembled and she knew she had failed just as her father said. She shook her head, still in disbelief, **"This can't be… How could I be defeated? How am I the one to disappear…? Instead of the endless struggle, wouldn't it be easier to wrap oneself in lies and live in blissful ignorance…? Isn't that true peace for human..?"**

'_It would be my true peace though, wouldn't it…? I would never hear their suffering…'_

"How many times do we have to tell you!? The hell with that shit!" Kanji snarled with a hand balled into a fist before him.

"Stop assuming you know us!" Chie snapped next.

'… _Stop assuming I know them? Oh, if it was only so simple… and the misfortune they have now brought upon themselves…'_

"**Hehe, very well. Then try to live your way… Power enough to erase my existence… You have already exceeded what I thought humanity to be capable of…" **she said softly, her grip loosening on her own bones. She sighed a little before continuing, **"You have lifted the fog in this world, as well as the fog in your own… And whether that leads to happiness or not… rests upon your shoulders. Children of man…"**

'_Do I… have the strength to warn them…?' _she wondered as her body began to disappear in spheres of red light. No… no, it wasn't enough. She just whispered quietly, **"Well done…!"**

Her body crumbled, rising into the air. Was it possible…? She wasn't going to the Netherworld again? But… how? It almost brought tears to her eyeless sockets. After everything she did, she only deserved to return there. Red lights danced before her and for a moment, she saw black flames crouched low, staring at her with ruby eyes. No, it wasn't that. Black armor, white hair, red eyes… a smile. The image vanished and the black figure was gone once more. Gently, she faded away.

'_Humans… forgive me now… the burden upon your shoulders weighs much more heavily than intended…'_

….

The time of farewells was in order as they stood at the station. As promised, it had been a year; it was time for Souji to return to his parents in the city and as they promised, the Investigation Team had gathered with him. He smiled as they talked for a final time and asked them to wait for a second so he could say farewell to a few more friends from school standing by the stairs. Basketball teammates Daisuke and Kou warned him of coming to visit sometime in the near future, Ai made him promise to visit Inaba whenever possible, Ayane and Yumi both tried to get him to return and join their clubs again if he could, Naoki gave him a few words of wisdom with a smile, and Shu, even though wasn't from Yasogami, came as well, but sobbing unlike the rest.

He turned, waving goodbye and ascending up the stairs, stepping onto the platform just as a voice overhead called:

"**Last call for passengers heading towards Yasogami Terminal. Repeat; last call for passengers…"**

He boarded the train with reluctance, stowing away his luggage in an overhead compartment and sat down near a window, sighing. What a hell of a year. It was sad everything was over now, but at the same time a relief. The world was safe and so was…

The train started to roll from the platform, gaining speed steadily. He blinked as he heard yells beyond the window he sat near and looked out. He was actually shocked to find all his friends racing alongside the train, yelling, waving, crying, telling him to visit, and, most importantly, never forget about them. How the hell could he do that? The platform ended and they stood waving as the train rumbled out of sight. He sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a photo that contained the whole team. Damn, barely gone for ten seconds from there and he was already missing them. In truth, Inaba had been more like home than the city. Dojima and Nanako would always have a room open for him. Huh, he better start making plans for Golden Week. He would have to bring so many gifts.

The train blew over the river and entered the dimly lit tunnel. He sat back, closing his eyes.

"… _Sou... ji…"_

"…?"

"_Souji…"_

"Hm? Who's there?"

Short, wavy gray hair, shining crimson eyes, her white robes floating around her; Souji was startled to see Izanami before him again in his mind. The room they stood in was similar to the one when Thousand Curses had been casted on him. She appeared solemn, her eyes gazing away as she spoke quietly, _"So, it's true. You did leave after a year. This is most unfortunate…"_

"… Is something wrong?"

"_You succeeded in exposing the truth… humans will no longer be able to hide, but unfortunately, I had my own truth to hide in the midst of the fog," _she sighed, bowing her head.

"Your own truth…?"

"_Pray that he doesn't find the entrance to your world. You must warn that Shadow boy, Teddie. If he goes between realms, he must be careful."_

"Izanami, what are you talking about?"

"… _Even gods have families, Souji. It's a warning… he is the black flames are Hell itself. He isn't like me. While I give a painless death and cover the world in fog, he is merciless. Long before your time, he killed thousands single-handedly and he will do the same if he escapes," _Izanami warned, frowning, _"Also, within the human realm, you will be unable to stop him."_

"But you said if he escapes…"

"_Right now, he searches for the exit, but your friend in that bear suit stands out like a sore thumb amongst those trees and fields. It's only a matter of time," _Izanami said, her red eyes piercing his. She was dead serious about this.

"… I'll just have to hope this person doesn't escape," he said, not really believing the goddess.

She noticed his tone and shook her head as she whispered, _"My Father is clever. It will not be long."_

Souji's eyes snapped open as the train's horn blasted. Father!? There was something he was missing. He pulled out his phone, but then paused. It had to have been an hour since he left now; he had a feeling what Teddie would say if he called him right now. He sighed and decided to text the bear instead.

**Teddie, be careful going between our world and yours.**

Short, sweet, to the point, and he had forgotten to tell him that anyway. He stared out the window as hills passed by the train, concerned. His phone chimed; the reply!

**Don't worry sensei! Yosuke told me that already!**

At least his reply was legible. He could only hope nothing would go wrong.

The train continued its journey to the city. In the mean time, back in Inaba, Teddie smiled at the text message, "Sensei is so considerate to leave a reminder on my phone! Hehe! Oh, is anyone up for a picnic!?"

oOoOoOo

Me: Chapter 2 done. Moving on to Chapter 3.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus. I have no rights to it at all.

Note: This story will be moved to the crossover section at chapter 4. Just a warning ahead of time.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 3

oOoOoOo

It had been a week since Souji had left Inaba and things were slowly getting back to normal. Yosuke and Teddie were constantly working at Junes since it was vacation while Yukiko helped around the Amagi Inn and Chie occasionally dropped by. Kanji worked at Tatsumi Textiles, helping his mom with special orders while doing his dolls on the side. Rise was helping her grandmother with the Tofu Shop, but, at the same time, getting ready to return to touring as an Idol. Naoto was never home, still wrapping up a few things at the police station. She too was getting ready to leave for a summons elsewhere. Dojima returned to his busy schedule as well, but he was careful to make more time for Nanako.

All and all, everything was running smoothly.

"Waaah-huhu!! Yosuke!"

Yosuke sighed and looked up at Teddie's yell, but then turned pale, noticing why. The bear was stuck in a display that he had spent hours setting up just earlier today. The avalanche of cans had buried the blonde up to his waist, his legs kicking wildly in the air as he tried vainly to wriggle out. Yosuke ran over and grabbed Teddie's leg, pulling backwards and yanked the other boy out, panting, "G-Geez Ted, what did you do?"

"I-I was just trying to get a can for the nice old lady and I accidentally fell forward," Teddie explained quickly, panicking a bit. He raised his hand, "I got it, but…"

"Why didn't you take one from the smaller pile?" Yosuke groaned. Now he had to set up all the cans again.

"Well, the lady pointed specifically at this one," Teddie said, shaking the can. Yosuke's eyebrow twitched and inhaled, trying to keep his temper cool.

"… Teddie, go to the TV world for a while. I need to clean this up," Yosuke mumbled. Teddie frowned, tilting his head.

"I-I can help you if--"

"No, I got it. Just… stay out of my way for right now, okay? Besides, you haven't been there since Souji…" he trailed, somewhat disheartened, but Teddie understood. It was true though also. He hadn't been home since they defeated Izanami. Huh, maybe Nanako-chan might want to see his world, but first, he needed to make sure everything was still the same; didn't need something bad happening.

"Okay then, Yosuke! I'll be back!" Teddie exclaimed, beaming. He turned and ran over to the old lady who had still been standing by, giving her the can, "The can you wanted Miss. Forgive me for the trouble it might've caused you."

"Oh… you're such a sweet boy."

'_Hehe… ladies loooove Teddie~' _he thought, sparkles dancing around him as he skipped away, heading towards the electronics department. As always, it was empty save for the large televisions hanging around on the walls and supported by pedestals. Displays flashed over the screens, but he walked over to the only screen that was black. His blue eyes darted around for a second, making sure it was clear before he dove head first into the TV. Black and white spiraled around him as he fell through and he rolled as he reached the other end, bouncing to his feet, "Haha! Teddie still has it!"

He shielded his eyes and gazed into the blue, cloudless sky, watching it spanned on and on, the sun glowing brightly overhead. He reached around the TV stack and donned his bear suit quickly before darting over the field, laughing. It had been so long since his world had been like this. Fields of grass stretched to rocky shores, waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, and a forest in the distance were a mighty tree resided. He never went beyond that tree, finding solace in its expansive roots. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if 'it' was still there…

His paws squeaked as he ran across the fields, jumping over a stream, a grin still on his furry face as he hummed to himself. Shadows were still around, but no longer black. Instead, they were oddly similar to creatures in the human realm. Insects darted around as he disturbed underbrush and rustled some of the lower branches hanging from trees. Small animals darted away, but others, like brightly colored frogs, remained, croaking lowly as Teddie startled them, leaping across their lily pads in the swampy area. A large, almost lion-like animal snarled waking up from its sunbath as Teddie bounced on its head. The bear chuckled and waved back to it, "Sorry there! Gotta get to the tree!"

Teddie pushed passed the last few trees and stepped into the grove. It at least had to be as tall as Izanami in her true form. Hulking branches splashed in sunlight reached into the air, its leaves reflecting emerald from their surfaces. Birds and insects of extraordinary size and colors made home in its shady leaves and tangled roots, of which, so had he more or less. He waddled to the tangle growth of dark wood, climbing over the massive bands and wormed into a Teddie-sized hole, landing on the cold ground underneath with a thump.

His home sweet home. It wasn't extravagant like in the human world at his home with Yosuke, but enough to make him happy especially with his red crystal. He didn't know what it was, but he had found it when he first came here as a shadow. It had been tangled in the roots of the Great Tree, stuck in some bow-shaped contraption that had rotted over years of abandonment. He had taken the crystal to his home and it served as a bright light when night fell and the moon refused to shine. In fact, he remembered that he had heard voices emanating from it sometimes and would listen for hours, taking in the words they said. He wondered if the voices had some form or shape, but he didn't know how to free them from the crystal. Oh well, it didn't matter as long as it was still here.

While he wondered if he should show it to the others, his fur rose. Was someone staring at him? That couldn't be possible… when he came in; no one had been by the TV. Was it possible one of the others came in? Why didn't they just make themselves known? He walked over to the hole to his den and peeked out, blinking. Strange, but it was kinda expected. Nobody was there except the… wait; he didn't hear the birds singing. Nervously, he poked his head out and glanced around at the surrounding forest. His ears twitched as he strained to listen, his nose scrunching as he sniffed, but he didn't smell or hear anything.

He crawled out of his den, his fur still standing on end. Whatever was out there had frightened everything away. Scrambling out, he made his way back to the televisions, keeping his eyes, nose, and ears sharp for anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, he paused, thinking he saw something ruby. He turned sharply at a rustle, followed by a snap.

Teddie split, panicking, not even bothering to look back. He just wanted to get out of there.

---

Yosuke didn't believe him. Actually, nobody believed him. He had considered texting Souji about it, but thought against the idea. He couldn't bother sensei; not after he returned home. He wanted the others to believe him, but with his world looking as peaceful as it did, it was too far-fetched. Teddie was glad that at least Rise listened to him even if she didn't think much about his encounter. She told him he must've just saw one of the animal's in hiding and he supposed it was possible. Still, he refused to enter the TV incase.

Days passed; weeks drew on and he remained on the human side, keeping even the others from going to his world. Something dangerous was there; he couldn't let them put themselves in harm's way. School was starting soon so they soon put it off while Teddie fretted.

"Teddie, come on. There's no way something dangerous is in there. I think you took one too many hits from Izanami," Yosuke finally said, putting his stuff together for school the following day, "It's just in your head. Hell, you might've just startled something else, you never know."

"B-B-But Yosuke…"

"Forget about it, Teddie."

Yosuke yawned and walked out of the room while Teddie glowered at his back. Well, it was just like last year. They didn't believe him about Shadows until they saw them… maybe he could get some kind of evidence to prove he wasn't just making anything up. He had ten minutes until Junes closed. He would be able to make it in time. Quickly, he bolted out of the room and ran downstairs, telling Mrs. Hanamura he was going over to Rise-chan's place for a second. She just waved a confused good bye and watched him race down the street. The Junes door slid open and closed behind him. There was no need to look around to make sure no one was watching him; there were barely any people present within the store. With a leap, he jumped into the television screen, reappearing inside the TV world.

Night had fallen here as well, but Teddie had a mission. He had to find the thing with ruby eyes and somehow bring proof that…

He spun on his heels, eyes widening. He heard something that time. His knees started to shake and he turned back towards the television tower.

Ruby eyes locked with blue; Teddie didn't notice the hand rise until it swung down and tore across his chest. Blood sprayed the grass with dark red, almost black drops and Teddie was thrown to the side at the force. He yelled, curling slightly, one hand clutching the grass blades while the other pressed against his chest in a pathetic attempt to stop the four claw marks from bleeding. This was too much proof. The flaming humanoid leapt down and stalked towards Teddie, but then paused, looking up and down at the televisions, almost in a bewildered manner.

"G-Get away from that…! You c-can't go in there," Teddie gasped, drawing attention back to him. He wished he had his claws on; he might have a chance… wait! "Augh! K-Kamui!"

It took a great deal of effort, but he broke the card in his hand. Kamui emerged from the shards and struck the figure away from the televisions with a potent Bufudyne. Half-staggering, half-crawling, Teddie took the opening to fall through the lowest television, rolling onto the floor of the dark electronics section in Junes a second later. The store must have closed while he was inside his world. Yosuke had showed him a back entrance incase he ever wanted to go home. Teddie panted, grabbing a display shelf to help him stand and looked back. At least whatever it was didn't follow him. He let out a sigh and moved forward.

Ruby eyes stared back at him once again. A strangled yell ripped from his throat as he was swiped across the face, forced down again. On reflex, his hand was on his face, fingers trembling at the blood seeping from four more marks. His eyes were wide and he scrambled to his feet, breaking into a sprint towards the other aisles and the back door. A scraping noise against the ground announced that the flaming creature was following him. Everywhere he turned, everywhere he hid, that beast ripped through it without a sound. He barely escaped another strike as it slashed a path straight through a metal shelf, the claws just tearing through the back of his blood-soaked shirt.

Teddie was knocked off his feet, flying over the flaming beast, yet, feeling no heat from it. His back crashed against the bin with the oranges, the fruit getting tossed into the air and he whimpered, shielding himself as more oranges fell over him. He rolled onto his stomach, gripping at the tiles, trying to pick himself up, but he yelled as left leg gave a particularly nasty throb. Glancing down, he saw his calf was almost torn open… and the figure was walking towards him again.

"Eh..!! G-Get away!" he cried, trying to crawl away. The door was nearby…! He had to get to it.

"Hey! Who's here?"

The flaming creature turned sharply and leapt towards the direction of the voice. Teddie stared at the spot it had been, but then pushed himself to his feet, biting his lip as his leg burned. He gripped the door, flinching at a choked yell, but then pushed the door open, falling out into the alley. He stumbled into the wall of the building right behind Junes, limping towards food court. He was almost out! He was going to make it! His heart in his chest hammered as hope filled him…

… but then drained out just as fast as he was sent crashing into several chairs and tables, coming to a halt only when he slid into the planter nearby. He was dazed, head swimming as he tried to move. None of his limbs responded, no matter how hard he tried and he cried out weakly. Tears blurred his vision and he tried looking around, searching for the figure. He could see its ruby-red eyes looming in the pitch black alleyway. It sounded like metal chinked together as it took a step closer, the flames molding out of the alley darkness.

"P-Please… stay away… w-w-what did I do?" Teddie pleaded, his hand balling into a fist. It uncurled in a moment and he tried once more to get up. No… why couldn't he move? He was scared. Someone help him…!

"TEDDIE!"

The figure turned sharply just like before, but didn't move towards the voice. Its claws dug into the brick wall and it climbed up, disappearing over the ledge, hissing. Teddie panted; someone help him… help. He thought someone was kneeling above him, yelling and shaking him. He had an urge to cough for some time now; he did so, unaware that he just sprayed blood on someone's knees. It was so quiet…

oOoOoOo

Me: I'll get around to chapter 4 sooner or later.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 4

oOoOoOo

His hands were clasped over his face, rubbing his temples as his foot bounced. He barely heard the music drifting from the headphones resting around his neck, but when he did, he shut his player off with abhorrence. The music had been pulsing, energetic, beyond the mood right now and frankly, it made him sick despite his admiration for the artist. A sleepless night before the first day of school… he had really been hoping to make it through this school year without falling asleep, but because of this, he no longer knew.

Yosuke raised his head, noticing that Rise was still sobbing onto Naoto's shoulder, the young detective trying her best to console the idol. Kanji sitting by with a rather solemn looked that seemed unbefitting of him while Chie and Yukiko seemed rigid in their chairs. The clock in the Inaba Municipal Hospital counted each second of anxiety, each hour leaving them still in the dark about Teddie. The EMT had done their best to treat him in the food court, but as his condition rapidly started declining from his injuries, they rushed him to the ER. Yosuke wished that someone would just tell him that Teddie would be okay, but nobody in their small group was really in the mood to pass simple dialogue.

"Hanamura-san?"

Yosuke looked up, noticing the surgeon standing before the ER doors. He knew the others were staring at him. Slowly, he rose and walked over to the surgeon, trying to keep his voice as calm and steady as possible, "How… is Teddie?"

"… I'm not going to sugarcoat it. The damage dealt was enough to drop him then and there where ever he was. Sixteen severe lacerations, four on his face, four on his left leg with damage to the tibialis posterior, four more on his back with almost irreversible spinal damage, and four across his chest, exposing rows 3 to 6 of his ribcage with significant pressure leaving behind several cracked ribs," the surgeon explained, "He's on ventilation and being monitored for infections. All in all, your cousin is still in critical condition."

"… C-Can I… can we see him?" Yosuke asked, somewhat desperate. The surgeon paused, staring at him with a sympathetic expression.

"… I'll give you and your friends twenty minutes," the surgeon said finally, "I'll get a nurse to take you to the recovery room."

"Thank you doctor…" Yosuke said, bowing deeply. The surgeon nodded and turned, disappearing behind the ER doors. Yosuke rose and turned, walking back over to the others, all of whom, we're staring at him expectantly. He sighed, "Teddie is in critical condition, but they'll give us twenty minutes of visiting time."

"He must be unconscious still then," Naoto whispered, "And there were probably complications during the surgery that they aren't telling us."

"I'm just glad he's okay," Rise said, biting her lip and her eyes glanced down to her knees. They had come straight to the hospital the moment Teddie had been loaded into the ambulance and she hadn't bothered going to clean her legs of his blood. They rose together just as a nurse stepped out of the ER, holding the door open and ushering them inside.

There were so many machines, wires, and tubes in the room attached to Teddie that Kanji couldn't remain long without becoming furious. He only stayed three minutes in before saying goodbye and heading home. Naoto remained for two more minutes before her pager went off. She had to return to Junes; it was now a crime scene. Ten minutes remained when Chie and Yukiko left, out of things to say to the unconscious bear, leaving Yosuke and Rise alone.

"… We should've believed him…" Rise mumbled, breaking the silence suddenly after a minute or two. Her normally vibrant eyes were glazed over with guilt as she placed a hand on Teddie's, his clammy skin making her shiver. "About that… thing he told us a week or so ago…"

"I know…" Yosuke sighed, "But how could we? We just finished defeating Izanami. There was supposed to be nothing else in Teddie's world."

"Well, it just looks like nothing is wrong. Something could've been hidden in the fog," Rise replied.

Yosuke scowled, "But then why didn't you or Teddie sense it sooner?"

"Senpai, the fog was difficult to sense through without aid. Besides Teddie telling us what he _briefly _saw, there's no way we would've know if it had been inside the TV earlier," Rise said, "And don't raise your voice."

He opened his mouth, but then closed it, his hands balling into fists. He wanted to say something, but dammit, they were here for Teddie, not to argue. Shaking his head, he walked around the bed to the other side across from Rise and looked down at Teddie. That tube in his mouth offset the image of him sleeping peacefully back at the house and kicking his bed sheets off in the middle of the night. Yosuke shook his head and stared at the blonde boy, "Hey Ted… sorry we… didn't believe you. After everything last year, you'd think… you'd think we would pay attention better. God dammit… I'm sorry."

For a moment, he hoped that Teddie would wake up, but when the boy didn't move, he just stared, impassive. He blinked as a hand touched his arm and he turned, noticing Rise looking up at him, "Yosuke-senpai… the doctor just came. We have to go, but we can come back tomorrow."

When did the doctor come in? How come he didn't hear the door open? Still expressionless, Yosuke nodded, "Yeah… alright."

He chanced a glance back, swallowing before saying, "See you Teddie… we'll be back to visit. Don't go… doing something you'll regret, okay?"

"Senpai…" Rise whispered under her breath. She let go of his arm as they both departed from the room.

---

"So, new homeroom, new teacher."  
"Yeah, no more Ms. Kashiwagi…"  
"Oh my God! I know right? If we have another woman like her…"

"Hey… hey Yosuke! Wake up!" Chie said, shaking Yosuke's arm. He snapped up, blinking and looked around, stretching.

"What? Has class started?" he asked, yawning and scratching his head. She shook her head and he slumped back down on the desk. Unfortunately, the bell rang and the door slammed open.

"Students, please take your seats!"

Several girls groaned at the woman's voice, but took a double take as they walked in along with the other students. She was tall, maybe Yosuke's height at best, with pale skin and hazy blue eyes. Her long, blonde hair was in pigtails held up by black ribbons and her overall fashion reminded Yosuke of a Lolita at best, but very blue. She set a bag down on her desk and turned around, picking up a piece of chalk. She wrote something on the board… in English.

"So, who can read this?" the woman asked, beaming. The class didn't move. Nervously, Yukiko raised her hand. "Oh yes. Young miss in the red."

Yukiko rose to her feet, "It says 'Alice Mirren'."

"Yes! That's right!" the woman said and turned around, writing Alice Mirren in kanji. "Sorry for the pop quiz, but I'm Alice Mirren, your new homeroom and English teacher. I don't really have much plan for today so I can get more acquainted with everyone, but don't expect me to be nice tomorrow."

"… I can't tell if she's being honest really," Chie murmured. Yukiko and Yosuke nodded and watched as Alice opened the bag on her desk and pulled out a stack of papers.

"Okay, here's what we'll do today. On these papers, there are statements in English. Translate them if you must, but you must get up and ask your fellow classmates if one of these statements is true. If it is, they must sign it," she explained, handing out the papers to each person in class, "Yes, the name has to be in English and a limit to two signatures per person!"

Yosuke looked at the paper as it landed on his desk and stared. They looked fairly simple.

_Have a brother or sister._

_Play soccer._

_Been outside of Japan._

_Have a hand-me-down or heirloom._

'_Dammit… I would have someone if Naoto-kun was in our grade,' _Yosuke thought before rising to his feet. He started with Chie and Yukiko of course. Chie was translating all of hers with some difficulty while Yukiko signed two on Yosuke. He, in return, signed two for Yukiko before walking over to another student. Turned out to be Kou Ichijo; one of Souji's friends from the station. Kou stared up at Yosuke, silent.

"Uh… Hi… I heard about what happened this morning," Kou said quietly. Yosuke was deaf to the noise behind as his hands lowered. Kou scratched his head, "I never met him personally, but he was really close to you and Souji. I-I hope… he gets well."

"… T-Thanks," Yosuke said, though, he really felt dumb just saying that. Kou smiled a bit and signed two statements on Yosuke's sheet. He returned the favor. The same thing basically happened when he walked into Daisuke. He had an even harder time talking about Teddie since he had a problem with sounding 'generic'. Still, he grinned and signed Yosuke's paper. It was the same with the other students, but he just grinned and walked on. His paper was almost complete when a bell sounded at the front. It wasn't the school bell, but a hand bell.

"Time's up! So, who got the most signatures?" Alice asked, smiling again.

"Signatures… I didn't even get the chance to ask people," Chie grumbled, her paper completely translated into Japanese.

Yukiko looked at hers, "O-Oh… I only got ten."

Yosuke raised his hand, "I have two statements left unsigned."

"Hm? Which two statements?" Alice looked curious.

Yosuke looked down at his paper, "… Uh, number 15 and… number 20."

"Well, I never said the teacher was off limits from signing," she said, laughing a bit. He wanted to hit his head. She just shrugged, "Oh well. Yes, as you guys have already concluded oh your own earlier, I'm not a native residence. I moved to Inaba two months ago from Emsworth, England. I lived there since I was a child, growing up with my grandpa's old books. They've been passed down in our family for generations, but I've read them so many times, the pages are threatening to fall out."

"Oh, so they're good books?" Yukiko asked, interested.

Alice smiled, "Seven books that all tie into each other with tales of valor and honor; humility and love; battles to the death and renewal. Actually, they would probably be good reading exercises if you're that interested Yukiko. Haha, don't look surprised. I was memorizing your names while you were filling the statements."

"O-Oh…"

"Mirran-sensei, could you tell us more about the fighting in your books?" Chie asked, holding a hand up, "Oh, actually, what is each book about?"

"You kids can't still be interested in fantasy books, can you?"

Some of the students exchanged looks before nodding. Yosuke propped his elbows on his desk, resting his head on his hands as the teacher grinned, "If you're sure, but I just might test you tomorrow so listen up. The book's take place in a land called Erion. The first book, Valkyrie, tells the story about Gwendoyln, the Valkyrian Princess who fights for the king of Ragnanival. The second is 'The Pooka Prince', the tale of Cornelius who the Prince of Titania and turned into a Pooka… uh, a Pooka looks like this…"

The teacher drew something that vaguely looked like a rabbit. Some of the class laughed at the drawing. Alice coughed, "W-Well yes, I was never an artist really. Third is Mercedes in the story 'Fairy Land'. She's the Fairy Princess of Ringford. Fourth is Oswald in the book 'The Black Sword'. He's the Shadow Knight who is infamous for his slaying of a wise dragon in his book. The last character book 'Fate' focuses on Velvet, a former princess of Valentine. Their stories converge in the sixth book, 'Armageddon' and finish in 'The Wheel of Fate'. Really, in comparison to books nowadays, they have everything. Hey, do you remember what I told you?"

The class jumped as Alice started speaking in English. Yosuke slumped. The new teacher was cool and all, but he was glad when the bell rang.

oOoOoOo

Me: Chapter 4 to chapter 5.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 5

oOoOoOo

As her hair uncurled from her finger, Rise wondered if Ms. Kashiwagi hated her. Her brows furrowed as she tried coming up with a good reason as to why the teacher would always say her name with distain, but then speak so flirtatiously to Naoto. Maybe she was trying to get the secret of Naoto's pageant victory. She shook her head, getting rid of the thought as she stepped away from the lockers. Kanji and Naoto raised their heads, looking towards the stairs as Yosuke, Yukiko, and Chie finally came down.

"Sorry! Yukiko wanted to ask Mirran-sensei something and it just ended up taking longer than we expected," Chie explained quickly, "Come on, let's go to the hospital and see Teddie then."

"… Wait. Senpai…?" Rise spoke suddenly, making everyone pause in step. She frowned, wondering if she should just brush her words off as an accident, but she swallowed and asked, "Do you think… we should tell Souji-senpai?"

"… He probably knows. Ichijo-san saw a report on the news this morning," Yosuke said, his eyes reflecting indifference, "Anyway, he's at home. We should try stopping this without getting him involved."

"Yes. He has his own studies and personal matters to attend to," Naoto said. Rise fell silent, but then nodded, looking away. Yosuke took the lead without a word, Chie and Yukiko following behind. Rise actually dragged behind as Naoto and Kanji walked ahead as she fell into an unusually quiet state.

Last night had been so terrifying. Sure, when Izanami instantly killed all of them, that was scary, but it was painless. Teddie had been… she had never seen him so pale or frightened. When he coughed blood onto her knees, she had stifled a scream and attempted to keep him awake, but it didn't seem like he had known they had come at all. At some point, he slipped into shock; that had been the moment the ambulance arrived.

She blinked, surprised to see a handkerchief in front of her. Kanji was holding it. Naoto was staring at her silently, seemingly expressionless, but really concerned, "You're crying…"

"O-Oh… I… I didn't realize…" Rise said quietly. She thanked Kanji and took the handkerchief, drying her eyes and continued walking between them. They were silent, Naoto's hat tipped low while Kanji seemed to be spacing out or planning some way to stand in the hospital room longer. Rise glanced over at Naoto, "Are there any clues on what attacked Teddie?"

The blunette raised her head, blinking, but her face fell, "I'm afraid not. I examined the crime scene and even after examining everything, all I can conclude is that it was some kind of animal, but at the same time, that's even false. The manner in which it tore several store shelves is unfathomable. No animal would be able to rip through metal shelves and its contents with such clean precision. We're actually lucky Teddie got away in his condition."

"!!! How are we lucky?! He's in the hospital!" Rise exclaimed, but Naoto was unfazed.

Their senpais had stopped, but they didn't notice. Naoto was grim as she spoke, "Teddie was only one victim. There was a second victim; a security guard named Hiroki Niida, age 35. He was dead on the scene. I guess he was ambushed at a close distance since his body was cut into four pieces."

"C-Cut… you mean he was…?" Chie trailed, her eyes widening.

Naoto nodded, "Collar to left shoulder, top of right ribcage to the bottom of his left ribcage, and right hip to his left calf. It was all too clean. The forensics team was baffled."

Rise was gaping, she knew that, but it scared her to think that Hiroki Niida could've very well been Teddie instead. Was there even a reason for them; a pattern? No, even she knew there was nothing between Teddie and Hiroki except that they both worked at Junes…

"Yosuke-senpai, you, your father, and the other employees of Junes need to be careful until more information is gathered," Naoto said, "This could be a grudge attack against the store."

"Y-Yeah…" Yosuke stuttered, a little unnerved that he might be attacked.

Rise bit her lip. If it was just amongst Junes, at least the rest of the town would be somewhat safe, but it was true. There wasn't enough to know the reason this started. Teddie was the only one who knew what this monster was, but he was in the hospit—

Yosuke pulled out his phone as it started ringing. He flipped it opened, "Dad? Did something happen? …! The hospital!? Wha? Teddie!?! Y-Yeah! We're going now!"

His phone snapped shut, "Guys! Teddie's in trouble! Come on!"

"What's happenin'?!" Kanji exclaimed, jumpy.

"He had to be rushed back into surgery!"

'_Teddie! You better not die!' _Rise thought in a panic as they all raced down the sidewalk.

oOoOoOo

Why does he have to suffer like this?

"_Blood's pooling… drain."_

"_Second IV is hooked up doctor."_

"_Good… scalpel. Are the screws and metal plates ready?"_

"_Yes doctor."_

Rise's hands rested on the glass allowing them to view the operation. Everything the doctors were doing was so complex. Yosuke said they were reconstructing Teddie's ribs. Several of the bones had snapped and curved down, threatening to puncture his lungs. In his state of consciousness, he would've died if the alarms didn't go off.

"Rise, how's everything going?"

She almost missed Yukiko addressing her. Gradually, she turned away from the window and locked eyes with Yukiko, "It looks like everything is going okay. They should be done soon, right?"

"They said it should take a couple of hours… it's almost nine," Yosuke sighed, "Maybe we should just go home for tonight."

"… I'm going to stay behind if that's okay," Rise said, "I just want to make sure he'll be okay."

"Rise…" Chie murmured, but the idol turned away, looking back into the operating room. Kanji had already gone upon finding out what happened and Naoto had to go down to the station to work on the case. It was at least another thirty minutes before Yosuke left. About an hour and Rise was the only one remaining, watching the surgeons continue repairing Teddie's chest. She walked over to the chairs and sat down, her hands resting on her knees as she stared at tiled ground. Maybe if she had listened to Kanzeon sooner that night, Teddie wouldn't be like this. That… strange surge of power… she didn't understand. It had been equal to Izanami-no-Okami; maybe even higher and now it was in their world. What could it be and why would it just attack randomly?

"Hanamu—oh, who are you?"

Rise whipped around, surprised to see a nurse standing in the doorway. The operation had finished? When? How long had she been sitting there? Never mind that; she shook her head quickly before answering, "I'm Rise Kujikawa, one of Teddie's friends. Is he okay?"

"Yes. The surgery was a success, but he still shows no signs of waking up soon. You should go home and get some rest," the nurse said calmly.

Rise frowned and kicked the ground a bit, her arms behind her back as she glanced at the clock. Wow, it was almost midnight? She bowed her head, but then shook her head quickly, "Not yet. Please, can I see him? Even if it's just a minute or so…"

"… Stay here and I'll see if the doctor will let you visit him. He's being moved into the recovery room," the nurse said and excused herself from the room. Rise stared at the door, quiet, but then glanced in the room. It was being cleaned up after the operation, bloody surgical tools being carried to the sink and the table being washed down.

"Kujikawa…"

Seriously, that nurse needed to knock. Rise turned, "Yes?"

"The doctor has given you ten minutes of visiting time. As soon as time's up, he insists that you go home to sleep, okay?"

"That's fine. Thank you very much," Rise said, smiling faintly.

The nurse nodded, "Your welcome. Follow me."

She really didn't need to tell Rise; she promptly followed after the nurse the moment she started turning around. It was quiet between them, but the hospital was busy even though it was night shift. Late night operations, nurses tending to patients, physicians and doctors monitoring other patients in recovery… Rise just made sure to keep herself out of the way. She was so busy doing that she almost walked into the nurse as she stopped before a curtain. Rise jumped as the nurse spoke, "Just step behind the curtain. I'll come back when your time is up."

"Alright. Thanks again."

The nurse nodded and walked away, leaving Rise to stare at the white curtain. Steeling her nerves, she let out a breath and pushed open the flap, stepping inside the small area the curtain blocked off. It felt like the entire hospital had been closed out and all that reached her ears was the sound of the machines monitoring Teddie. He was still pale and attached to the tube, but they cleaned him up well. Cautiously, she lowered a hand, placing it on top of his, delicately curling her fingers around his.

"Hey Teddie… the nurse said your operation went well," she whispered, sitting down next to him in the only chair by his bedside, "Unfortunately, it's kinda late in the evening. I can only stay for ten minutes. S-So… uh, I'm sorry; I don't know what to say."

She closed her eyes, biting back tears, but let out a shuttering breath, "It's still hard to see you like this and… it's partially my fault. I sensed it… that monster that came out of the television. I can only assume that much since Kazneon was causing a racket. It was probably because I was half-asleep that I didn't call the others sooner. You shouldn't be in the hospital…"

She sensed a presence beyond the curtain, right behind her, but she wasn't ready to leave; not yet. She let out a small sob, "I'm so sorry Teddie… you wouldn't be here if I just… realized the danger sooner…!"

"Rise…"

"Huh..!?" Rise looked over her shoulder, surprised to see Naoto standing where the curtain parted. She continued to stare, but then hiccupped and looked back at Teddie, her shoulders shaking. Naoto's shoes made a light click despite their appearance as she moved next to Rise, looking down at Teddie as well.

"… I came to check on the victim and assess how he's recovering…" Naoto said suddenly, her voice cutting through the tension roughly. Silence fell for a minute before she added, "I also requested that they extend your time for at least twenty minutes. Ten minutes is an… inadequate amount of time to see a loved one even if they are unconscious."

"… Thank you, Naoto-kun," Rise said, hiccupping again.

Naoto nodded, "Your welcome. Also don't think it's your fault Rise. Even if we responded too late to keep him from coming here, at least we got there at all. He'll live because of you and Kazneon."

Rise paused, but then her eyes widened. That's right. Teddie was about to be killed right then and there at the Food Court, but since they arrived; they had made that creature run away. He would've been… she covered her mouth with her hands, letting out a choked sob.

oOoOoOo

Me: I know. I'm being mean to Teddie. (And yes, I like Teddie and Rise as a pairing). Don't worry, I'll balance it out. Review please.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 6

oOoOoOo

It had been two weeks since school began and Teddie was still unconscious. Vaguely, the Amagi Inn heiress wondered how much longer he would remain asleep. They had been visiting every day after school, but Rise had a tendency to stay late into the night. She said she did it so he wouldn't wake up alone. Yukiko supposed that was a possibility. Who would want to wake up in an unfamiliar place just to see strangers hovering around? Besides, Teddie would probably perk up if he saw Rise first.

"Yukiko… Ms. Amagi!"

"W-What…?!" Yukiko turned sharply, eyes wide as she came face to face with Ms. Mirren.

The teacher smiled, "You seemed to be off in dreamland. I was asking you to read the next paragraph unless you wish to go back to the clouds."

There were a few snickers as Yukiko turned pink and looked down at her English book only to realize she didn't remember the last paragraph read. A finger tapped the bottom left paragraph and she looked up. It was the teacher still. Her whole face turned bright red, "Ah… t-thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, if you don't mind focusing on class for the last, oh, fifteen minutes," Alice said before walking back to the front, her own English text book open. A few more people laughed behind Yukiko as she picked up the book and cleared her throat. Even as she read, it was difficult to keep her mind on the words. Why weren't the police getting any leads? How come no suspects had been brought in? Not even Naoto was able to get anywhere. The only thing really concluded was that all the victims weren't Junes employees. A woman had been killed last week near the Samegawa and she worked at the train station. She too had been torn into four sections, all of which had to be recovered from the river.

Her throat clenched and she stopped reading the passage. She felt a nudge, knowing it was Chie shaking her arm, but she didn't say a word.

"…? Yuki--" Alice's voice was cut off as the bell rang. Chairs slid back and clothes rustled as students packed their school bags. Yukiko was still standing there, the book frozen in her hands.

"Yukiko?"

She turned, noticing Chie with her things in one hand. Yukiko looked down, "Oh uhm… you and Yosuke go ahead. I'll catch up."

"O-Okay," Chie replied, but she was frowning, confused at her friend's behavior. Yukiko slowly proceeded to gathering her school supplies while Yosuke and Chie left the classroom in silence. As she slipped her textbook away, soft heels drew Yukiko's attention up. Alice was standing by her desk, concerned.

"Yukiko, what's troubling you?" she asked calmly, her own back slung over her shoulder.

"Just some personal problems…" Yukiko said, closing her bag and forcing a small smile, "It wore me out. I won't space out during class again."

"… Is it about the attacks around town?"

She paused looking at Alice, but then closed her eyes. Of course the public would know about this. The murders were horrific and without a lead, the media would be flocking to this story like moths to flames. Without knowing it, she slowly nodded. Alice was silent, but then spoke again, "During times like these, it's best to enjoy the company of others. Hurry, you should catch up with your friends."

Yukiko nodded and picked up her bag, pausing again. She turned just as Alice was about to open the other door, "Uh… Mirren-sensei, wait."

Alice paused, looking back, "Hm?"

"… Could I… see those books?" Yukiko asked. School wasn't able to take her mind off everything; maybe those books could. She had still been interested in them, but the teacher had yet to bring them to class. Oh, maybe it was out of place for her to ask now. It was only a few weeks into school and to ask a teacher such a thing…

"Well, I don't have them on me, but if you want, you can come to my house with me. We can have some tea and cake," Alice said, smiling, but then paused, her eyes widening, "Oh, but would you think its strange becoming friends with your teacher? Well, we can be friends, but don't expect me to give you any test question answers."

Yukiko blinked, confused at what the teacher said, but then giggled slightly, "O-Oh! If it's alright for me to come over…"

"Of course it is. It's just me and Plato at home," the blonde teacher said brightly, "Come along. I don't want to keep you over too long so you miss dinner."

Yukiko nodded and picked up her bag.

---

It was a small house, but just perfect for someone living with just a cat. Light gray on the outside with a black tiled roof, the one-story house was completely different inside. Its dark chocolate brown walls gave a strange air of warmth and bookshelves lined the corridors near each door. Alice smiled and took her shoes off, stepping onto the raised wooden floor. Yukiko took her shoes off and followed Alice down the hall, being lead into a room with a cozy arm chair before a small fireplace. A ball of black fur on the chair suddenly shifts and uncurls, revealing itself to be a black cat with bright amber eyes.

"Hello Plato. I brought a friend home. Do you mind if she sits in the chair?" Alice asked, looking at the cat before briskly walking over to a bookshelf on the other side of the room. The cat, Plato, meowed loudly, leaping onto the back of the chair and sitting down, blinking leisurely. Its tail swung lazily and its eyes locked on Yukiko who was still standing in the archway. Alice flitted through the books, "It should be… ah! Here it is!"

Her fingers seized a purple binding and tugged it back, a thick book falling into her hands. "Come, sit down Yukiko," Alice said, smiling, "This is the first one in the series. Do you remember the central character?"

"… I believe you said it was Gwendolyn," Yukiko said, sitting down in the chair. Plato was still watching her curiously, but then leapt down to her side as the tome was set in her lap.

Alice nodded with a smile again, "That's right. I'll go make some tea… and then I think I'll read one of them myself."

"T-Thank you," Yukiko said. Alice stood to her full height, beaming and then walked out of the room. Yukiko watched her leave before her eyes returned to the cover. Embedded in the front was a medallion, a bird engraved upon the medal in the center. It was swooping down as though diving from the sky. Briefly, she ran her fingers over it, tracing the bird, but then moved her hand, hooking it around the edge of the cover and opened it to the beginning.

Of course, the whole book was going to be English, but she would do her best to read.

_VALKYRIE_

_The soul shines proudly after falling in battle. The birds have a belief: This is the only method of earning an immortal soul._

…

_Dark clouds drifted over the barren wasteland like a blanket, masking the array of colorful wings as they descended from the fading twilight sky. Armor chinked as their light bodies made contacted with the sandy earth and their wings retracted, folding neatly against their armor to be protected from harm. The sounds of battle were near and without fear; they raced forward to the cries of their fellow warriors and hated enemies, spears clutched tightly in their hands. Her feet landed smoothly like the rest, her black, blue, and violet plumage. Without hesitance, she followed her fellow warriors with her own spear, glancing back once to make sure the other soldiers were with her. Ahead, their Berserker clashed his mighty shield with a Unicorn Knight's hearty javelin, both passing each other in charge. The Berserker turned, tossing one of his many axes at the Knight, but little damage was done. With a great leap, the Knight rose into the air and came crashing down, javelin piercing the Berserker through the shoulder, tearing its way down. With a yell, the Berserker collapsed, the Knight pulling its bloodied javelin from its deceased body. It led a new charge forward, shield high, fairies and young knights covered in green and silver armor following behind._

_While her fellow Valkyries ran into battle, her dark blue eyes trailed elsewhere, looking into the battle field for someone else. Their commander – her sister – was missing from battle while her troops fought valiantly. The commander was supposed to oversee and gain honor from victory, but with her missing, it almost seemed like there was no reason. With steel determination, she broke into a sprint, splitting the wave of Vanir with her fellow Aesir army. The movements of battle were almost like a deadly dance, soldiers falling on both sides as the war built. Her spear cut through armor and flesh, bones and translucent wings of the fairies before she dashed and took to the sky. Where was her sister? Where could she be?_

…

_She landed a distance away after spotting her sister from amasses of corpses. She was motionless, lying on her back with her prized crystal spear at her side covered in blood just like herself._

"_Griselda…" the valkyrie whispered, running over and kneeling next to her as she coughed finally, showing some sign of life._

"_Gwendolyn…"_

_Her name from her sweet yet fierce sister's lips; so weak and unlike herself. Gwendolyn examined Griselda's form, looking at her ruined purple feathers and wreaked armor covering her bloody body. Gently, Gwendolyn picked her sister up, holding her in her lap as she breathed weakly for air. Griselda sighed softly as she spoke, "It's so… quiet now… The sound of battle… seems so far away… It seems that I cannot follow my King into the final battle."_

"_No… don't give up…" Gwendolyn pleaded softly, but Griselda stared distantly past her every time her eyes opened, shutting again in pain. With what little strength she had, the fallen sister raised her crystal-tipped spear up._

"_Gwendolyn, please take this; I have no use for it now."_

_Gwendolyn did as her sister wished and the elder collapsed a bit in her arms as the spear was taken. Faintly, she smiled, "This spear has slain many foes, making a mountain of corpses… The King… Father will undoubtedly praise my actions."_

"_I'm sure he will," Gwendolyn whispered, feeling something wet roll down her face. It fell, dropping onto Griselda's hand. The elder inhaled sharply, surprised._

"… _Do I see tears in your eyes? You're too kind, sister…" she gasped, closing her eyes. "Please, do not cry… Your older sister will leave the world as a great warrior." Briefly, her eyes opened again, "… 'Tis so dark here… Gwendolyn… I can't see you…"_

_Those words were so difficult to hear as the last of her breath escaped. Griselda's body slumped as her life fleeted. Gwendolyn bowed her head, clutching her fallen sibling's hand, "Aah…"_

_She closed her eyes in silent mourning, her voice soft as she spoke to the passed warrior, "Griselda… I won't let you be alone for long. I shall be by your side soon enough."_

_It broke her heart to leave her sister behind, but she was a valkyrie; the sky warrior of the battlefield. She would die honorably like her sister with her own mound of corpses. The sounds of battle were near and she ran over the sand dunes towards it._

…

_A lower-ranked berserker and dwarf wondered the land, gazing at the fallen forms of their fellow fighters. The dwarf tipped his horned helm with a sigh, "We have lost this battle. There are simply too many enemies."_

_The moment he said that, another dwarf crashed into the ground, sliding to a halt in the sand. His armor was horribly torn and his blood quickly spilled into the sand cushioning his lifeless body. One of the small berserker soldiers raced back, his axe shaking in his strong grip. Before he could speak warning, red ripped through his axe and body, tearing through him and proceeding with the other. The dwarf let out a yell before being bashed down by a flaming black figure, falling unconscious._

_The figure paused, bent low to the ground, its legs ready to spring and for good reason. One of the larger Berserker soldiers sprinted forward to fight, but with blinding speed, he was brought down by the shadow creature which turned away once he fell, red eyes looking for others._

_The dwarf weakly raised itself from the ground, "So that is the Shadow Knight! Rumor has it he's made a deal with the Halja to acquire such strength! What power…!"_

_Armor rattled and he looked back, shocked to find Gwendolyn racing forward. She paused and declared boldly, "I will face him!"_

"_Princess! You shall not!" the dwarf yelped, but it fell on deaf ears as she walked forward. She stood next to the Berserker's body. As she pointed her spear at the shadow, she hid her surprise as the flames faded. Before her now was a human male with white hair and clad in heavy black armor. She couldn't see his face, but it didn't matter. He was slaughtering her army. When he turned, she wasted no time to slide low to strike. His agility was amazing despite the heavy armor's appearance as he counter her strike effortlessly with his red-tipped sword. She sprang over his head to get an advantage, but his leaping prowess was shocking as well. Her glide was cut short as he pulled her down, knocking the wind out of her as her back slammed against the ground. She felt his sword mere inches from her breast and her eyes shot up to his. They were a startling scarlet red and at the sound of his gasp, she concluded noticing the hesitance in his eyes. It angered her actually._

"_Kill me now… How long do you intend to keep me pinned down?" she hissed. She noticed his hand clench around the hilt of his sword and she waited for death's embrace. It didn't come. He released her and spun, his blade diving into the flesh of another Berserker and cutting him down with ease. The Shadow Knight didn't face her, silent as his enemy crumpled to the ground._

"_Go on. Run away."_

_His voice was deep and she raised herself, unsure if it had even been him who had spoken._

"_This battle is over. Any more deaths will just be a waste."_

_He had spoken. Why? He glanced back at her and she caught his red eyes again before he ran off in the opposite direction. She sat up, bewildered, frustrated, and not paying attention as the dwarf from before came to her side, "Oh, I'm glad you're safe. I had feared you were…"_

"_At this point…" Gwendolyn sighed, "I cannot go back…"_

_She pushed herself to her feet once again and ran after the Shadow Knight, the dwarf calling to her, "Please, wait!"_

_Gwendolyn was gone. He dropped his hand, "But… what good are troops that have lost their leader?"_

…

Yukiko read on, her tea abandoned on the side table as she was totally engrossed within the pages, but a tapping on her should drew her out. But…! Gwendolyn was leaving for battle again!

"Yukiko, it's almost seven."

"…! I-It is..?!" she gasped and Alice nodded. She took the book and marked it with a slip of paper.

"I'm sure you have other things to do," the teacher said, "But you can come back and read it tomorrow if you'd like."

Yukiko nodded. She still had yet to see Teddie and she was supposed to meet up with the others at the hospital ten minutes ago. It had been nice to forget about things for a while. She bowed deeply, "Thank you, Mirren-sensei."

"You're welcome, Yukiko," Alice replied with a smile. Plato let out a meow from his new perch on the window ceil. One of his ears twitched and he looked outside into the fading horizon.

oOoOoOo

Me: Yukiko's reading and the others continue to search for Teddie's attacker. Please review.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

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Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 7

oOoOoOo

If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was leaving the job undone. Unfortunately, without a single lead after three weeks, it looked like this case might never be closed. Her pocket book lay in her hand as she wrote, ignoring the frequent flashes and clicks of cameras as both the media circus and coroner took pictures of the body. Once again, the pieces of the man's body had to be recovered, but this time, the death could be considered suicide. The train had run over it so many times that it had been suicide had been considered. The idea was pushed aside when the coroner discovered frighteningly clean cuts in the spinal column and pelvis.

Naoto sighed and turned, looking at the coroner, "Any information on the victim?"

"Yes. Shuya Mimura, age 41. He was employed as a teacher over at the elementary school, but had recently been out on vacation," the coroner said, taking another picture of the decapitated head, "He was definitely struck by the train and torn apart by the wheels, but some of the cuts match perfectly with the pattern on the other bodies."

She frowned and looked up. If he was killed here at the station then… "Dojima-san, we should examine the security cameras," she said, turning around. Detective Dojima blew out a stream of smoke before his eyes turned to her. Returning the cigarette to his mouth and letting it dangle, he walked over, glancing up. A small camera was focused straight on the platforms, a red light flashing occasionally signaling it was still recording.

"Detective Eto, get me that video from the security camera," Dojima ordered. His new assistant officer nodded and jogged off to find the station's staff.

"What time of death do you estimate?" Naoto asked, turning back to the coroner. He raised his head, lowering the camera with a small huff.

"Hm… judging how the body is decomposing and the wounds are starting to fester… at least ten, ten thirty last evening," he said, knelling down and closing the body bag now. She nodded curtly and turned back to Dojima.

Detective Eto returned with a small disk, "Here's the video, Detective Dojima. There seems to be something wrong with it though."

"…? Something wrong? Like what?" Dojima asked. Naoto raised her head and looked over at them, frowning.

"Come see for yourself."

Dojima and Naoto followed Eto as he lead them back to the security office. Miniature televisions were around the office for each camera set up around the station, the screens all showing the images of the police cruisers and news trucks parked outside and the people still crowding around to see what was going on. Eto popped the disk into a computer set up in the back. A pop-up appeared on the monitor and he clicked the 'Open Folders' button with the mouse. Video documents filled the digital file and he clicked on one in particular. The media player opened.

The video was filtered by night vision, green filling for the usual gray amongst black shapes. The train was pulling into the station and the doors slide open. The frames skipped gradually, showing a man stepping off the train with his suitcase, but then pausing. Few others passed him as he glanced around, but then shrugged and proceeded forward again. The train pulled away, but he didn't step off the platform. The screen flickered and all three moved back as bright eyes suddenly appeared before the camera, blinks lost as the frames skipped. As suddenly as they were there, they were gone, revealing the platform as it had been found this morning. Black splotches indicated the spray of blood on the ground and pillars, streaks sliding back into the crevice where the train tracks resided. Mimura's suitcase was sitting on the platform, torn open with claw marks and contents scattered.

"What in the hell was that?" Dojima grunted, taking the mouse and rewinding back to the glowing eyes. No face could be identified under the black portrayed in the frame and besides those glowing eyes that was the best lead they were going to get.

Naoto stumbled as Dojima suddenly pulled her aside and somewhat leered down at her, "I thought you said all this was over!"

"It is! That… thing isn't from the other world! There's no possible chance!" she hissed, her brows furrowing, "I've seen what it looks like now. The shadows are gone and even then, there were none that looked like that!"

"… You better find out more about this Shirogane. I know the police won't be able to get this one," Dojima growled. Naoto glared at him sharply, but nodded and turned on her heel. So, he wanted her to do a solo investigation on this matter. True though, that figure did resemble a shadow with those glowing eyes. She would begin with the television and then explore the town tonight if nothing came up. Yamato Takeru trilled in the back of her mind at the very thought of possibly being called out once more.

---

_Rise was silent, sitting by Teddie's bedside as the sun sank into the horizon, her hand still clutching onto his. Her head nodded a bit as she yawned, but then, Teddie's eyes snapped opened, staring at her. "Huh!? Teddie!" she exclaimed. He was shaking, trying to say something, but with the tube in his mouth, he was only coughing. Doctors rushed over to help._

As suspected, the Television was a waste of time. It was simply too peaceful there and nothing was disturbed save for the trees and grass as winds gusted by. There were no clues and had been the distinct smell of rain inside. All evidence was surely gone. She watched people as they started disappearing from the streets as evening came and the street lights burst on. Soon, nobody was on the street and night was encroaching only to be split by cars driving by in the distance. So, she would make her way from Junes down to the shopping district and then the residential district. Wait, no, she had to go check the school as well. There was a slim chance teachers were leaving late.

With a sigh, she turned in the other direction, heading up towards the school along the commonly taken sidewalk, a breeze nudging her in the back. Her hair prickled, but she waved the feeling aside, double checking her pocketed revolver incase. A car sped past her a few minutes ago, but she remained on course, becoming slightly precautious when it seemed like no more passed after almost thirty minutes. Naoto paused and looked around as school came in sight, listening to the night. Strange… she couldn't hear the sound of cars anymore… all she could hear was the white noise from the street la—

Oh great, the lights went out along the street. They had been flickering for some time. An electrician should've come out sooner. Naoto drew out a small pen light from her pocket and turned towards the school gates. No school lights were on. This location was safe. Slowly, she turned away, but her eyes widened and she spun left, drawing her revolver.

The gun was promptly split into pieces, red eyes leering down at Naoto from one of the school pillars as she moved back. It leapt high and she stumbled, barely dodging it as its claws raked the school gates in two. She didn't look back, clutching her bleeding hand to her chest, skidding to a halt as it suddenly appeared before her. How in the world…!? It didn't matter! She ducked as it sprang forward, missing her by mere inches, but it did remove her cap. It was torn to ribbons; she was undoubtedly next.

With a fake, she moved right, but swerved left. There was the sound of asphalt and rocks cracking as the black flame lunged for the fake out and she took the opportunity to dig into her pocket with her good hand. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed for back up, ducking into an alley in an effort to conceal herself for time.

_Teddie coughed as the tube was removed from his mouth and he held Rise's hand tightly, staring at her, scared. "Teddie!? Teddie, what's wrong!?" she exclaimed, staring at him._

"_N-Nao-chan…! T-The… man…!" Teddie wheezed, his voice broken from his weeks of being unconscious._

"I'm near Yasogami High…! Yes! Please, as much back up as we can spare!" Naoto yelled into the phone before flattening herself against the alley wall. Three deep cuts burned against her cheek and the flaming shadow beast towered over her. Should she try attacking it? Its body looked dangerous to touch, but there was no excessive heat from it like real flames. No time to finish that thought; she rolled underneath the creature as it swung, breaking the walls of the building behind her down. Springing back to her feet, she bolted from the alley, running down the dark sidewalk for a block or two before chancing a look back.

As her eyes peered into the darkness, she didn't see any flaming form or red eyes, but she could still feel her hair standing on end. That thing was nearby, but she didn't know where. Without her gun and without knowing whether she could damage it herself, she was in jeopardy. Her head snapped up and she jumped back, watching the crater form as the beast smashed into the ground with staggering velocity. She could hear the sirens approaching and she made a break towards them.

Something was wrong.

She found herself down on the ground, blood splashing onto her face as the back of her head smacked against the cement. Naoto's mind didn't process what happened until she tried getting up. S-She couldn't… feel… her right leg at all. Her head swam from the fall and it seemed like several flaming shadows were approaching. Red and blue lights appeared down the street and the black form disappeared.

Rolling to her side, Naoto drew out her cell phone, pausing. Did an ambulance come or was it just..?

"Shirogane! Where's the… Holy shit…!"

Dojima trickled into view and Naoto blinked, "D-Dojima-san… it… a second ago… was…"

Okay, that was formed better within her mind than coming out her mouth. There was a dull pain in her right thigh that was steadily growing worse and she tried shaking it off. Dojima paled, "D-Don't do that…! You're losing too much blood!"

"I-it's… can't…" still, not a distinguishable sentence.

Dojima wasn't listening though; he was yelling at some other officers with him, "Call an ambulance! You! Get an ice chest! We need to keep the nerves alive! Detective Eto, for the love of God, suck it up!"

"Nerves…?" she muttered.

"Get some towels! We have to stem the blood flow!" he yelled. An officer rushed over with an ice chest he retrieved from a house awoken by the commotion and several towels stacked on top. Naoto watched dazedly as it was all set down, Dojima taking the towels while the officer opened the ice chest. She didn't see what he put in, but she felt the towel wrap around her right thigh…

… At least, it should've been her thigh... or her leg for that matter…

"E-Ehh…!! AHH!"

"_N-nao-chan's hurt! Rise-chan!" Teddie exclaimed, his eyes still bulging. "F-Father's hurt her!"_

"_Father? Teddie!? Who…?"_

"_He's here! He'll hurt everyone!" Teddie cried, tears falling. His arms wrapped around her, his face burying into her chest. While the normal move would've earned a smack, Teddie was in hysterics. Her arms wrapped around his frame in response, one arm around his shoulders while the other rested on his back, the hand tangled in his blonde hair. The doctors were running suddenly _and for good reason. A familiar voice was yelling at the top of her lungs as she was pushed into the emergency room nearby.

Rise let go of Teddie and stood up, her eyes wide, "Naoto-kun! Wait! Uhhh… Dojima-san!"

"Kujikawa? What are you still doing here?" Dojima asked as he marched into the room, stopped before the emergency room doors.

"Never mind me, what about Naoto-kun!?"

Dojima gritted his teeth and nodded his head at the door, "She was attacked. We got to her in time but…"

"Detective Dojima! We have the ice chest!" Eto exclaimed. An assisting nurse quickly took it with a physician into the room.

"I-Ice chest?" Rise stuttered.

Dojima lowered his head, "Shirogane lost her leg."

oOoOoOo

Me: … What? I let her off easy. She lost a leg and has a small concussion. Nothing TOO bad. Please review.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 8

oOoOoOo

When they met Teddie the first time a year ago, it was hard to believe anything he was telling them. It felt like that situation all over again except instead of shadows in the fog, it was a singular being who he now kept calling 'Father'. Chie found the story harder to believe every time he tried explaining it. He didn't even truly remember who this father was. What made it even more difficult was the fact Yukiko wasn't there. She had been recently going over to the teacher's house for reasons she hadn't explained yet leaving Chie with only Yosuke, Rise, and Kanji. No, scratch that; it was mainly Yosuke. Kanji and Rise were so distraught over what happened to Naoto that they were waiting for the operation to finish.

"The doctor has to reattach every nerve severed," Yosuke murmured as they walked home together that evening, his arms crossed. "She won't be able to even begin walking for several weeks. Dammit…"

"… Yosuke, should we call Souji?" she asked quietly, stopping and staring down at the side walk. "We're down two and we have no idea where to begin. Maybe if he was here, we could…"

"Chie, he's at home. This is our problem. We can't just drag him back here and put him in danger too," Yosuke said, looking back at her coolly, "He helped up with the Midnight Channel, but we should try solving this one without him."

She stared at him, silent, but then let out a sigh. True, it was just about a month since he left. He was probably busy with school and other friends back home. He must be re-adjusted to being home with his mom and dad; it would just be cruel to break them apart again after a year separated.

"Come on, Chie. I promised Yukiko I'd walk you home."

"H-Hey! It's not like I need a bodyguard! …Though, after everything going on, it might be safer to travel in groups," she sighed, frowning. She jogged forward and fell back in step with Yosuke.

---

They were all supposed to see Teddie again and figure out what he was saying, but to do that, they had to swing by their English teacher's house. If that wasn't awkward enough, it was Alice thinking Yosuke and Chie were dating. The kung-fu girl just burned at the assumption before spluttering out, "I-Is Yukiko here? We were going to the hospital."

"Yes, she's with Plato in the den. Come in, take your shoes off and have some tea," Alice said, holding the door open, "I think she'll be done with an Act soon and be ready to go."

"An Act? Uh, okay," Chie replied, raising an eyebrow in confusion. She removed her shoes as did Yosuke and both looked around as Alice closed the door. She nodded and led them down the hall to the den. The fire place was unlit, but a lamp brightened the room. In the corner, Yukiko sat in an armchair, reading a thick blue novel open to a page somewhere near the beginning. A cat perched on the back of the chair meowed loudly and she looked up.

"Oh, Yosuke-kun, Chie. A-Ah… please let me finish this last Act. Cornelius just defeated Queen Odette and I want to see how he's going to escape the Netherworld," she said, turning bright pink. The two couldn't have been more confused.

"Okay…?" Chie said, but it came out more questioning than she meant. Alice giggled and left the room to get the tea. Chie and Yosuke sat down at the low table as they waited. After some time, he pulled his headphones on. She sighed and dropped her eyes to the table, noticing out of the corner of her eye a thick black novel. There was a medallion on the front, a rather thick one with a strange sword engraved upon it. Glancing around, she noticed Yukiko still absorbed in her book and Yosuke bobbing his head to music. Oh well… it wouldn't hurt to just glance at the first pages would it?

Chie brought it in front of her and opened the cover, reading the title 'The Black Sword'. Wow, that was in English. She sighed and steeled herself. Better to try reading English than doing nothing at all. She turned the page.

_THE BLACK SWORD_

_Raise that sword and the shadows draw closer, spreading the stench of death. But tenderness may exist in those inhabiting the darkness while stress envelopes those who oppose it._

…

_A sharp clang rang throughout Horn Mountain as the red psypher cut through Hindel's scaly side once more, causing the wise dragon to reel in pain, collapsing to the icy ground with a bang. His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword as he walked forward, his black armor clicking with each step as his eyes gazed darkly at the weakened dragon. It turned its large head, letting out a pained grunt._

"_As I thought… trying to defy one's fate is like trying to stop the stars… Not even those who can see the future can keep from carrying out their fates."_

"_Why were you holding back? I was open several times," he said coolly, almost irritated that the so-called wise dragon just allowed himself to be killed so easily. He was sent for a challenge, not a push over._

"_Do not worry about me. Your Belderiver is a weapon without peer," the dragon grunted, turning its head slightly as his scowl deepened. It just continued, "My time is up… use my death to validate the claims of its power. Take my head and announce you victory to the commander of the Fairies."_

"_You should be aware that all this was caused by that country," he hissed, turning away as his annoyance seized the better of him. He paused after a few steps, refusing to face the dragon as he muttered coldly, "But, they did not hire me. My father specifically asked me to do this."_

_The wise dragon lowered its head, frowning, "He is not your father… your real father is a man named Edgar."_

_His red eyes shot back with disdain, "That name means nothing. That is just the name of a man who abandoned a baby. Melvin is my only father. Even though I am human, he raised me as his own."_

_The tired dragon sighed, "… Do not forget that… when the time comes."_

_This dragon Hindel would not accept a silent death, would he? The Knight had given him several opportunities to die without his blade carving into its flesh once more, but it seemed like the blood would have to stain his dark armor as well. He raised the Belderiver, "You talk as if you know everything. Let me cease your tongue's flapping."_

"_Shadow master who threatens the darkness…" Hindel grunted, his eyes closed, "Seek the bird… That shall be your destiny."_

_Destiny… what a joke. For him, his destiny was to serve his father and nothing more. Enough of this. Raising his free hand and concentrating the power within the Belderiver, shadow engulfed his body, wrapping around him like the darkest flames of Hell itself. His hands curved sharply to claws, his stance hunching forward, and his white hair became gray flames. His glowing scarlet eyes stared at the feeble dragon before pouncing. His claws burrowed into hard scale as he landed on its neck and he raised the Belderiver high, focusing. The dragon did not say a word, waiting patiently until…_

"_Uhh!!"_

_Blood gushed over golden scales as the red psypher-tipped sword burrowed deeply into its neck, severing veins and tendons, cutting into its airway. For a moment, it let out a piteous grunt, its head raised, but the sword moved deeper. With a final expel of air, Hindel slumped to the ground, its life fleeting its body at once. He leapt from the wise dragon's corpse, landing with a light thump and drew his sword back, his body returning to human form. He glanced back at the dragon and scoffed._

"_Hmph… It is as Melvin said… As long as I have this Belderiver, even the dragons shall fear me…"_

_With a mighty bound, the shadow knight, nay, Oswald, made his way down Horn Mountain, leaving what remained of Hindel the Wise to rot in the icy domain._

"Chie… you're reading out of order…"

"Wah!!!"

Chie jumped, banging her knee against the low table and looked up. Yukiko was standing there, her bag in hand along with Alice. The teacher waved her hand, "It's alright. I accidentally left the book sitting out. So, what did you think?"

"W-What did I think? He just… that was heartless…" Chie said, looking down at the closed black book, "He murdered a dragon that was kind-hearted to its death."

"Yes, he did, but that is just the beginning. Remember the quote at the beginning and you'll see as the story progresses," Alice replied, picking up Chie's somehow empty teacup. "You can come back and read if you want, but I believe you three were going somewhere?"

"Yeah. We have to go see Teddie," Yosuke said, rising to his feet. Chie nodded and bowed to Alice.

"Thank you, Mirran-sensei. We'll be back… maybe."

"Tell your friend 'get well' for me, alright?" Alice said, smiling. Yukiko nodded. Alice escorted them to the door and waved as they left, hurrying to the hospital.

Not much had changed besides the fact Rise and Kanji were there already. While he seemed anxious, Kanji just stared ahead. Rise looked up at them as they entered the hospital room Teddie resided in, "The surgeon came a while ago. Naoto's surgery seems to be successful, but she's sleeping for now and they have her on really strong pain killers."

"Lemme guess. She's a little nutty," Yosuke said.

Rise gave him a dead-pan stare, "Are you kidding? She was fading in and out so much there was no point in trying to talk to her."

"Ah… well, what about Teddie?"

The teen idol turned to the blonde in question. He was sitting in his bed, quieter than his usually talkative self and his hand tightly holding onto Rise's. She seemed to bring him some form of comfort as he trembled, blue eyes darting to the window. Chie frowned, but then smiled a bit, "Hey Teddie. How are you feeling today?"

The bear hadn't been this terrified before, not even with Izanami. It was so strange to see him like this. He was silent for a moment longer, but then whispered, "Father's on the move. H-He's bear-y angry… h-he didn't even recognize me a-and he hurt Nao-chan."

"Do you remember what your… 'Father' looks like?" Yosuke asked, stepping up. Slowly, Teddie shook his head.

"I only sense him. I don't remember what he looks like. I-I actually forgot about him completely u-until Junes," Teddie admitted. "Something's wrong…"

"Yes, something is wrong. Your 'dad' is killing people," Yosuke said.

Teddie shook his head, "No! He isn't like that!"

"Why are you trying to defend him now!? He almost killed you and he cut off Naoto's leg! He's probably killing more people as we speak!" Yosuke snapped. "Your father is a murderer!"

"N-No he's not! That's not him!" Teddie cried, shaking his head. Rise moved forward, hugging him tightly and Chie frowned.

"Yosuke, don't yell at Teddie. He's not stable still," she said, shaking her head, "Besides, what if he's telling the truth. You know just as well as anyone else he could be possessed or be controlled by someone."

"Oh yeah? But then why not just come after us?! Don't we seem like a major threat because of our personas!?" he exclaimed.

"Maybe he is! He's already got two of us!" Chie snarled back, ready to kick him, but Yukiko raised a hand.

"Both of you, we're in a hospital to visit Teddie, not give him a hard time. Maybe you two should lea--"

"Not yet!" Teddie gasped. The window in his room shattered and glass hailed from the ceiling as the lights broke. From down below, a shrill scream echoed from the street below. Yosuke walked over to see what happened, but then yelled, startled as claws hooked onto the window ledge. Red eyes locked with his, black flames inches from his body. He fell back, watching as it pulled its body into the room, stance low.

"… _G… Gwe…"_

"F-Father…" Teddie whispered, trembling. Rise's hold tightened around his body and Chie crouched low, getting ready to strike, but then her body locked. Blue; a feather?

"Chie!"

"Senpai!"

"!!!" There was red before her eyes, black near her body. She didn't register the tackle until warmth trickled over her cheeks and her back collided against the ground. She was having difficulty breathing; the weight on her chest was too much. Her sweater was going from green to dark brown as blood began flowing over and pooling under her. No, wait, this wasn't her. She could see one red eye peering down at her from behind a mop of wild, short brown hair, hot breath brushing against her cheeks. A chair appeared in sight, but she was focused on the strained breathing next to her face instead of Kanji chasing the strangely bewildered figure back out the window where it disappeared.

"Egh..! A-Ah… Ch-ie…"

She blinked, eyes widening and darting to her left. Orange headphones covered in blood, hands slipping on the tiled floor as they tried rising, Yosuke gritted his bloodied teeth before letting out a soft moan of pain. His whole body weight was on her, but that didn't stop her from yelling.

oOoOoOo

Me: Still no Souji. We're getting there. Review please.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 9

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Damn that… shadow thing for attacking Yosuke! Well, it had been going for Chie, but… how could he just do that? Then again, if it had been Souji, all of them would've leapt; Yosuke just moved the fastest. Chie had been trying to keep him awake as the medics rushed in. God, his back was torn up, but he had been lucky to have his spine missed. Kanji sighed and blinked, watching a bird fly by the window.

"Is that bird interesting, Tatsumi?"

"Very…" he replied, but then snapped his head up, eyes widening. The class was laughing as he came face-to-face with the substitute teacher, Mrs. Valentine. Her violet eyes reflected little amusement as she spoke crisply.

"I asked you to read page 35, paragraph 2 in the textbook, but if the sky is more entertaining to you, perhaps I should leave a note so you can enjoy it after school with your teacher." She watched his face pale and shook her head, "That was your only warning. Now, if you don't mind, turn your eyes back to your book and read."

He grumbled under his breath, face red as he looked at his book. Biology of plants, blah, blah, blah, he really didn't want to be doing this at the moment. He had to go beat the shit out of that shadow and find out why it attacked everyone in the first place. Damn thing… he couldn't concentrate. Somehow, though, he did finish reading the paragraph. He had no idea what he just read, but to hell with it. The moment that bell rang, he was going to go after than bastard.

The bell chimed and everyone rose. Kanji stood up quickly and started shoving his way over to door when Mrs. Valentine called, "Tatsumi, I need you to stay after class."

"Huh!? But…!"

"With Kujikawa absent, I need someone to take Shirogane's homework," she replied before he could finish. Oh… well, yeah, that made sense. Other students passed him as he stepped back and walked over to the teacher's desk. Mrs. Valentine was organizing Ms. Kashiwagi's desk, putting her own belongings into a leather bag. She stood up with a small stack of papers, holding them out to Kanji, "She gathered all the assignments for the next two weeks. Shirogane can finish it all at once or just stay on track with class. Either way, she's expected to turn them all in when she returns."

"Yes, ma'am…" he muttered, taking the small stack and stuffing it into his bag. He felt her eyes on him and he stood, frowning, "What?"

"… It's nothing. Please, go enjoy your afternoon," she replied and returned to her bag. He raised an eyebrow, but just shook off the strange feeling and left the classroom. He wondered how the hell he could possibly track down the freaky shadow when he accidentally bumped into Chie. Huh, she must be walking alone again. Yukiko seemed to have a habit of leaving quickly after school. Chie seemed out of it, but raised her eyes.

"Oh, Kanji… uh, going to the hospital, right?" she asked, not looking up at him. Dully, he nodded. What else were they going to do? She turned stiffly and led the way down the stairs and out of the school doors. People whispered nearby about the 'accidents' and the rumors of how they occurred, but they felt eyes on them. Kou Ichijo, Daisuke Nagase, Ai Ebihara, Naoki Konishi, Yumi Ozawa, and Ayane Matsunaga were the only students who didn't whisper or chatter about nonsense. It was weird, but Kanji felt like they were keeping tabs on them for someone.

"Kanji, hurry up!" Chie called back. She had walked some distance ahead from the school gates when he froze. He bolted to catch up and it was silent between them. It was… awkward to say the least. They never really just spoke to each other since the others would always be there so this was a first. Shit, he didn't know how to talk to girls. No, this was Chie. He could come up with something… hm…

"Do you think Yosuke's surgery went okay?"

Kanji jumped when Chie started talking, "H-huh!? O-Oh… Yosuke-senpai? Yea. He's prolly jus' in a room wonderin' where we are. Where's Yukiko-senpai anyway?"

"Yukiko's been going over to Mirren-sensei's house to read some old fantasy books," she replied, waving a hand, "I guess they're alright, but the one I glanced at was about some heartless guy. He killed a dragon that wasn't even fighting back really…"

"Damn, thass low," he muttered, not sure if he should've said something else.

She sighed, "Yeah, it's low, but he was told to do it for some strange reason. I kinda want to find out why, but Yukiko said I was reading it out of order. I really don't care; I was lucky to even read through that page… English isn't my strong point."

"The books are in English?" he asked, surprised.

She nodded, "Yep, but Yukiko can read it no problem. Oh right, we didn't tell you. Mirren-sensei is our new home room teacher. This is her first year teaching at our school. Rise told me you guys have Ms. Kashiwagi."

"Well, she wasn't here today. Must've went chasin' after some guy," Kanji said, "We had sum sub… uh, I think… Valentine was her last name."

"Huh, never heard of her. She must be new, too…" she trailed and then paused, looking up at the hospital. Together, they walked inside, but she walked down a separate hall to visit Yosuke first. Kanji, on the other hand, proceeded down a hall towards the room Naoto resided in. There was a chance she would be asleep so he would make the visit brief. When he reached her door, he paused, staring through the small window. Immediately, he shot back and fell to the ground, scarlet. A nurse was helping Naoto clean up and re-dress, but he wasn't about to check if they were done yet. It was about fifteen minutes until the nurse walked out with a tub of water, sponge, and dirty hospital gown.

Slowly getting back to his feet, Kanji calmed himself and peeked inside, " 'e-ello…?"

"Kanji-kun, did someone fall in the hallway?"

Shit, straight to the point! He swallowed and choked, coughing suddenly. Naoto cocked her head, one eyebrow raised at his behavior, but she waved it aside as he regained his breath. She sat stiffly, propped up by several pillows and her lower body covered in the hospital blanket. Her reattached leg rested outside of the sheets, her thigh tightly bound in thick gauze. Her cheek had a sizable cotton patch over the three stitched cuts and her forehead was still wrapped in bandages from the fall. Nervously, he sat down in the chair by her bed, silent, his leg bouncing a bit.

"What happened since I was out?" she asked after five minutes of silence, causing him to snap his head up. Kanji mouth thinned into a line, but he spoke after a moment, recalling everything that happened. He was just mentioning Yosuke leaping back and the creature entering Teddie's room when Naoto stopped him, "That… animal was here last night!?"

"Well, we dunno what it was… but Ted kept yellin' it was his old man. Chie-senpai was about to attack it, but she just froze or sumthin'. Anyway, it tried attackin' her, but Yosuke-senpai got hit instead."

"What's his condition right now?"

"He ain't dead, but he was pretty messed up from that one hit. Docs said he was lucky his spine was missed. They rushed him to surgery and we figured he should be in a room now. Chie-senpai went to visit him," he explained. "Damn thing… I think it killed someone outside of the hospital last night."

"It did. A woman was… wait. Here…"

Naoto raised the TV controller and turned on the news.

"_Here we are at Inaba Municipal Hospital, reporting yet another tragic murder. At 8:51 PM, a woman was walking past this hospital when her luck appeared to run out. Police say that Ms. Noriko Kashiwagi appears to have been heading towards the station for a trip wh—"_

"Holy shit! Are they serious!?" Kanji exclaimed, jumping out of his chair and knocking it backwards. Naoto raised a hand to quiet him. She needed to hear the rest.

"_Ms. Kashiwagi's death is the fourth in a series of horrific murders that have recently occurred in Yasoinaba. The police state that these murders are unrelated to the murders that happened last year and that's evident enough. The victims last time were found hanging from telephone poles and water towers. This time, however, the victims are being found ripped into pieces. There has been word on two victims that have survived… no, we just got word its three now… oh, we have an interview with the Detective… Detective Eto!"_

"_**Huh? Oh, hi."**_

"_Tell me, what are the conditions of the three surviving victims?"_

"_**All three are being hospitalized right now. The first one recently woke up from a coma after being found several weeks ago on the first crime scene. After the third victim, the second one to survive was found near Yasogami High with an amputated leg. The third one occurred within the hospital and we have no status on their condition."**_

"_I see… I heard a rumor that the three are just high school students. Is that true?"_

"_**Unfortunat---"**_

"_**Detective Eto! What the hell are you doing!?"**_

"_**Ah! Detective Dojima!"**_

"_**You don't talk to the media! Get your ass over here!"**_

"_**Y-Yes sir! S-Sorry! Gotta run!"**_

"… _Well, if those three victims are high school students, it is unknown who this murderer is specifically targeting."_

"… It seems like we can't hold a second-year teacher," Naoto sighed, turning off the television.

"Kinda sounds like that book Yukiko-senpai read… uh, somethin' to do with witches and wizards," Kanji said, scratching his head.

Naoto chuckled, "I think I know what you're talking about… but let's get back to the issue at hand. One, we have no teacher and two, that murderer is still loose. On another note, I need a new gun. That thing shredded mine."

"It did?" Kanji asked, his eyes widening. He propped his chair up again as she nodded. He growled and stood up, "I'm gettin' that red-eyed bastard."

"Kanji-kun, don't be rash! It tears through everything like paper. There's no way you would be able to stop him!" she snapped, shifting sharply. It jolted her leg and she gritted her teeth, lying back down. He moved to try helping her, but paused when she seemed settled again. "W-We have to figure out why it's attacking people… if we don't, t-the whole town is at risk. We're incapable of summoning our Personas and facing it head on will result in death at this moment. T-Those flames… if there was some way of harming it…!"

"It moves too damn fast," he sighed, "Maybe we should call Senpai…"

"No, we shouldn't. We need to solve this. If there was some clue…"

"… The flame thing talks," Kanji said suddenly, just remembering from last evening.

Naoto looked at him incredulously, "What?"

"Well… wasn't a whole sentence, just a stutter… said 'Gwe' and that's it before it attacked."

"'Gwe'? Not much of a lead, but it's a start," she sighed. He nodded, but then glanced up at the clock.

"Damn… uh, sorry. I gotta run. Ma's goin' to a friend's house later and I need to clean the shop," he said, but then paused, opening his bag, "Here. This is the homework. Almost forgot 'bout that."

"Thank you…" Naoto said, "And be careful on your way home."

"… Heh, I'll be fine. You'll see…"

…

"E-Ehh… hgh…!"

Kanji coughed a fresh spray of blood from his mouth as he held his stomach despite the profuse amount that continued to flood out. With his clear eye, he looked up with gritted teeth as the black flames approached, scarlet eyes watching for any sudden movements. Heh, didn't the damn thing understand he was pretty much dead? He lulled his head back, hitting the wooden door frame behind him as the figure stopped walking.

"… _Whe… re…?"_

"W-What… the hell are you talkin' about…?"

That wasn't the answer it was looking for. He blinked slowly, just watching it come. He was so exhausted, but it didn't stop him from hearing a crash and rattle of chains, his vision obscured by red and gold. It was brief, an illusion maybe, because he knew no more a second later.

oOoOoOo

Me: Hm… I wonder who's next? Review please.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 10

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_Kanji slumped against the wall as the chain snapped forward and recoiled back, forcing the black creature away._

"_Begone from this place, Desecrator! You who are a dark spirit, how dare you wander amongst these people! Had they'd enter Winterhorn Ridge, I would understand, but that place is gone. How do you remain?"_

_The woman with golden hair glared at the scarlet-eyed shadow, her violet eyes watching it closely as the flames composing its body sparked and crackled. Suddenly, it leapt back. Her red cloak flared for a moment, but she paused, looking back at Kanji. Looking around, she spotted a phone. Ugh, she'd admit, it was a clever idea, but one she never really enjoyed learning how to use. She dialed and waited._

… _Beep. __**"What is your emergency?"**_

_She lowered the phone from her ear and set it in Kanji's hand as the operator asked, __**"Hello? Is anyone there? This number is for emergency purposes only…"**_

_They would have to send a squad car due to a 'prank' call, but it was enough. She waved a hand over Kanji's form, whispering under her breath, "Forgive us for the pain that has befallen you, son of the great ancestors. Your fight for life will not be in vain."_

_She turned, her heels clicking and her red cape flaring as she disappeared from the house._

"… _As you can see, your friends are in danger. Not only do you know, but so do your other bonds. Through you, they feel the others linked closely almost as if they are bonded as well. It seems as though they both protect and endanger. As long as one lives, the others will not pass from this new threat."_

_He blinked once, the darkness of the Velvet Room closing in around his eyes, but it turned out to be a shadow. Another woman entered and sat down opposite of Margaret, a large tome firmly within her gloved fingers. Margaret raised her head, her amber eyes locking with almost identical amber. Igor gazed between the two, remaining quiet as the newcomer spoke, "Her plan has failed. It always would have. The power has drawn my abrupt return."_

"_She never understood and now the consequence for her actions is unfound punishment on the descendants," Margaret replied, "Humans have done as they suspected. They've develop freely with trial and error."_

"_Indeed, sister. There is, but one way for resolution and peace to return," the newcomer sighed. Margaret nodded and both turned, looking at him. Together, they spoke in hauntingly in sync, yellow eyes glowing._

"_The red crystal through which death whispers. Bring it to us for the key."_

"_Be quick about it though," Margaret said, lowering her gaze._

_The newcomer did the same, "The scent is upon you. He will not hesitate to come."_

"_Our contract may be broken, but with this threat, a new one between Elizabeth and myself will hold you to your new challenge. Do you accept?" Igor asked. He closed his eyes as Elizabeth raised her head, her short hair bouncing slightly as her lips curled into a smile. Igor's fingers crossed together and he leaned against his enclosed hands, smiling. Slowly, he opened his gray eyes, nodding slowly._

"_Igor… I accept the contract…"_

"… _Hm… then…" Igor waved his hand. In mid-air, a red book revolved and opened, sheet protector pulling back as it opened to a new page. Souji Seta scrolled in on the bottom line and a pulse raced through his body. Whispers in his mind awakened louder than they had in a month, images of gods and goddesses crossed his mind. For a moment, he saw feathers dancing in his vision; someone with silver hair and bright plumage around their pale form._

"_Your Personas recognize what has happened, especially Izanagi-no-Okami," Igor whispered, "Let him be your guide upon your return. Do not forget to awaken those who aid you. During your absence, they slumbered, but when you return, they await to hear the one above them."_

_The wheels of the car were starting to slow. Igor grinned, "Here is your stop. Please, we always wait for your return. Until then, farewell."_

He raised his head, opening his eyes as the train exited the tunnel, its horn blasting as smoke billowed into the air. Rain pattered noisily against the window as he stared. Well, it must be fate his parents needed to send him out here again when something needed to be done. His friends, if they were in better condition, would be there at the station, but no. The ties he had made where solid; coiled to him like another part of his body. Yosuke was in pain in the hospital, Naoto was asleep, numbing her own, Teddie was still panicking, and the recent… Souji gritted his teeth, resting a hand on his stomach as he felt a sharp prod and pull.

Kanji was still in surgery, fresh blood entering his veins as he struggled to hold on.

"_Attention passengers. We will be arriving at Yasoinaba Station in five minutes. Please make sure all your belongings are with you as you make your departure."_

Souji lowered his hand from his stomach and calmed. Something was luring this creature to the others. He would have to figure it out as he looked for the crystal, but still, what did any of this mean? Izanami and Teddie referred to the black shadow as 'Father'. Had it some form or was it just a shadow? That was probably it. It was responsible for the shadows that plagued humanity. Maybe if they stopped the rampage, they would disappear for good.

Under his feet, he felt the train shudder to a stop.

"_We have arrived at Yasoinaba Station. All passengers departing please stand away from the doors as they open."_

oOoOoOo

This had really been the first for her dad to call her home from a friend's house. He said he had a surprise at home, but didn't divulge any details. Nanako had to really consider going home at that moment or later because the rain was coming down in thick sheets. In the end, she decided to hurry home. Maybe her dad got something from Junes? Giggling, she clutched her umbrella tighter, "Everyday's great are your Junes!"

She always liked that commercial. Looking around, she noticed that the shopping district was practically deserted due to the weather and some shops were closing early. Nanako looked over at the Textile Shop and paused, frowning. She had heard what happened this morning on the news. She had really been looking forward to showing Kanji the doll she made at home from last week. Well, she could always visit him in the hospital with Rise or Yukiko and show him there.

"U-Uh-ghh…"

Nanako paused and turned her head, "Huh?"

Nervously, she looked around, holding her umbrella closer and bending her knees in. Who would be out here in this kind of weather? She jumped at the sound of wood creaking and turned. The dark alley next to her? No, it used to be a street people took often, but the shops were closed. Some of them were opening again, but they were closed to set up. She wondered if she should just go home, but curiosity had the better of her. As carefully as possible, she walked down the street, glancing around. About four buildings down, she noticed one door was slightly ajar on one of the boarded up stores.

Despite her legs shaking, Nanako approached the door and nudged it open a bit. It wasn't enough. Releasing one hand from her umbrella, she pushed it open a bit more, the wood creaking as it slid on the rotting guide. From what light spilled in, she saw empty shelves covered in dust and cobwebs along with a counter on the far side of the room. At the sound of breathing, her eyes darted around.

"H-Hello?" she called, stepping inside, but not entering completely. There was the faint sound of shifting. She tensed, but it wasn't coming towards her; it was moving away. Deciding no harm no foul, she lowered her umbrella and stepped inside, walking slowly into the back, keeping an eye out for any…

A shadow shifted as she approached the counter and she gasped, withdrawing her hands to her chest as she bit her lip. Trembling, she peeked around the counter's edge. Glowing, red eyes looked back and she cried out in surprised, ducking back from its view. When nothing happened, she chanced a glance back. The red eyes were still focused on her, but she noticed they just stood out on the man's really pale face especially the right one. He was breathing hard, probably from exhaustion, but she didn't know as she stepped slowly, rising to her feet as she came out of hiding.

"Uhm… a-are you okay, mister?" Nanako asked, frowning. The man didn't reply, but instead, his expression changed to one of confusion. Did he not understand her? She tilted her head, but then looked down, "Mister… your bleeding. S-Should I get a doctor?"

"… No. I just… need rest."

Her eyes widened a bit as he spoke, but she calmed down, becoming concerned as he shut his eyes, gripping his side tightly. A glimmer made her realize he was wearing what appeared to be heavy black armor with red faintly standing out against it. Nanako frowned, "I just have small bandages with me… stay here and I'll get a first aid kit."

"I don't…" he started, but Nanako already dashed out into the rain and to Shiroku. The old froggish old woman was pacing behind her counter, smiling as always, and turned when the door rattled.

"Ah, here for the Rainy Day Sale I presume?" she asked, her smile broadening. She blinked, surprised to see Nanako, "You're a young customer. Are you here for some sweets?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you had first aid kits," Nanako replied.

"Oh, one of your friends hurt, little one?" the woman asked. Nanako thought for a moment, but then nodded quickly. At a leisurely pace, the shop keeper walked over to a cabinet, opening it slowly and drew out a small box. "One medical kit is 2720 yen… but I'll make an exception for you. Go help your friend."

Nanako smiled broadly and nodded, "Thank you very much!"

"You're welcome, little one."

Nanako brought the medical kit close to her chest and ran out of the store, going back to the boarded up building. She lowered her umbrella and walked inside, less cautious this time, "Mister, I got something to help you…"

She trailed when she found he wasn't behind the counter anymore. Moving towards the door located in the corner, she nearly tripped. Apparently, he tried crawling into the back room. She knelt down, tilting her head. He wasn't saying anything, but she could make out that he was breathing… She barely popped open the medical kit when she heard a husky voice.

"Leave me child…"

"But you're bleeding really bad," Nanako said, frowning, "And the lady gave me this medical kit for free to help. Please let me help you mister…"

He didn't respond. She lowered her head; knowing he was just going to tell her off again, but she was surprised when he shifted slowly, armor clinking together as he forced himself to sit up. His white hair now became apparent and his red eyes landed on her.

"You should not be troubled with one such as myself…" he said coolly, "I deserve the pain I suffer."

"That's not true," Nanako replied, a little caught off guard at his words. He had a funny way of speaking. She opened the medical kit, smiling at him, "You look mean, but you're not mister."

"And why do you assume that?" he asked, eyes glinting.

"Because… why does someone need to be in pain?" she replied innocently. He tilted his head, blinking, but then was silent. Minutes passed, she soon said goodbye and departed, and the man remained. He stared at the closed door for some time before looking down at the empty medical kit. He picked it up and rested it in the palm of his gauntlet. A streak of lightening illuminated the store and as the flash faded, he was gone.

oOoOoOo

Me: Is it obvious I got stuck? Please review.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 11

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"Hey! We have a new student! Please introduce yourself!"

He didn't need to. The moment everyone's eyes raised, there were outcries of surprise. Chie shot out of her seat, accidentally knocking her chair over. Alice and some of the fairly new students were confused, shocked even as Yukiko was suddenly at the front, hugging the male student tightly. He smiled despite Alice's bewildered face and waved to the class while the Heiress was still on him, "Hi, I'm Souji Seta."

"I-I see… uh, your transfer papers say you were here last year before going home…" Alice said, still a bit startled at Chie and Yukiko's reactions.

"Yes and I was living in the city with my parents, but they had to go overseas again. They told me last week so I was transferred here again to stay with my Uncle," Souji explained. Yukiko finally let go, her cheeks burning and bowed lowly to Alice before scurrying back to her seat.

The teacher sighed and slowly smiled, "Okay, Souji. Take your seat next to… no, uhm… sit next to Chie until Yosuke returns if you don't mind."

"… Yes, ma'am," Souji said quietly, his cheerful expression turning into a somber gaze. His feet carried him over to the desk and he sat down, hanging his school bag on the small hook. As Alice started her lecture into complex sentence structures, Chie turned to Souji.

"Let's meet on the roof at lunch. We'll catch you up on everything that's been happening. Yukiko's going to… uh, go get the second-years to…"

"Chie, I know what happened… we need to talk about our next course of action…" he murmured and she froze, surprised. His silver eyes glanced at her and he smiled faintly, "I'll explain later. Right now, I think we better pay attention."

"Huh? Pay attention? Why would…?"

"Chie, what word is missing from this sentence?"

The kung-fu girl squeaked and turned her eyes widening. Alice shook her head as the class laughed, "I'm afraid a squeak isn't the answer. I needed a pronoun. Let this be a reminder: don't talk during class or else you'll have to answer a question and most likely embarrass yourself for getting it wrong. Now, turn to page 47 in your textbooks for more examples."

Class continued in relative silence.

oOoOoOo

The group had dwindled frighteningly low; of the fighters, just he, Chie, and Yukiko were unscathed. Rise, who was latched tightly to his neck, was balling, "Wah! Senpai! I'm so glad you're back!"

"Rise, are you alright? Anything happen in class?" Souji asked as they stood on the rooftop with the other two. She nodded quickly.

"Yeah. We have a new teacher. She was our sub on Saturday. Well, that's what the other students said," Rise said, her tears drying almost instantly, "Ms. Kashiwagi was killed before Yosuke-senpai was attacked and…"

"Killed? Seriously?"

Rise nodded, "Yeah. Weird because I was kinda expecting some teacher even worse taking her place, but Valentine-sensei is way cool and totally gorgeous. If I didn't know any better, she was a model before working as a teacher, but she doesn't say anything about herself. Oh my God, but she knows sooo much stuff about history…"

"Maybe we should start talking about what's been happening?" Chie said, frowning.

"Oh, right! Sorry!"

Rise let go of Souji and walked over to the spot they always sat last year. Just like last year as well, the only people up here their small group. Chie looked over at Souji, "So… how did you know about everyone getting hurt? Was it because of the news?"

Souji shook his head slowly, "No... It's because of last year. When I made friends with everyone, I formed special bonds via the certain Arcanums everyone stands for. When Teddie was attacked, my body started to burn. When Naoto was injured, my head and leg seared. With Yosuke, my back began to ache and for Kanji, I could feel the hole in my stomach and when the surgery was happening. I'm not the only one who can feel it; everyone who I made a certain bond with can feel the pain faintly. Even Nanako can feel it."

"E-Even Nanako-chan?" Rise gasped. Souji nodded dully.

"I asked her last night if she was feeling okay when she came home. You guys can't deny that you felt something strange…" Souji sighed, "Anyway, I think I have a way to defeat the… shadow."

"…? You do?" Yukiko asked, "How?"

"We have to find the red crystal through which death whispers," Souji said, remembering Margaret and Elizabeth's words. Chie, Rise, and Yukiko stared at him, a chill running down their spines. He was about to ask what's wrong when he realized that they were looking passed him.

"The bell rang. You should hurry and get your lunches packed up."

"Ah! Okay Valentine-sensei!" Rise said, smiling nervously.

Souji blinked and turned to the new comer who had spoken. He couldn't help but stare. That was Mrs. Valentine? Something about her seemed familiar… hard, violet eyes, long golden blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. Her flaming red button up blouse and knee-high, black skirt reminded him of Ms. Kashiwagi; even the black heels. The only different was this woman didn't give off a 'fake' vibe. Her skin wasn't touched by makeup in a single place as it glistened in the high noon sun. Even when she scowled at them, she was still very beautiful.

The four of them gathered their lunches and proceeded from the roof. Mrs. Valentine didn't move to follow. Actually, Souji heard her voice suddenly:

"Young man, may I speak to you for a moment."

He paused and looked back. Mrs. Valentine wasn't looking at him. She was gazing off into the horizon, inhaling the scent of fading spring and watching as people walked up and down the sidewalks beyond the school grounds. Souji walked over slowly, glancing back at the others, "I'll catch up."

"Alright, Souji-kun," Yukiko said, though, she sounded a little upset. The door closed and he turned back to Mrs. Valentine. She turned away from the school's fence and closed her eyes, bowing her head in thought. He wondered what she was doing, but as he opened his mouth, her eyes snapped open.

"What you seek is dangerous to any human who touches it. I ask you abandon your search," she said coolly, her eyes intense as she stared at him. He was puzzled for a moment, but then he frowned.

"You were eavesdropping?"

"I did not necessarily mean to, but the people you know have strange energies. I followed Kujikawa up here and heard about the crystal you wish to find," she whispered, "Besides being dangerous, it is impossible to locate."

"What do you know about it?" Souji grunted, scowling a bit. Did this woman have something against him? Why would she not want him to find something capable of saving humanity?

"The crystal was said to have disappeared from history and for good reason. People would use them in ancient times for battle and, depending the wielder, it could mean salvation or destruction. They were said to whisper death because they absorb the souls of the dead," Mrs. Valentine said, "The more souls, the more power they gain. It would even absorb the soul of the user if they were not careful or place a very curse on their life. Abandon your quest while you still can."

"… Who are you?" he asked. She knew too much just to be some teacher…

She turned away and walked over to the door, "I'm a second-year teacher. Just heed my warning before you endanger everyone around you."

"Wait…!" Souji exclaimed, but Mrs. Valentine disappeared through the door and heard the fading sounds of her footsteps going down the stairs.

oOoOoOo

"Big bro, are you getting tangled in something again?"

Souji turned a stunned eye on Nanako as they sat at the table, but remembered she felt everything as well. She was a tiny form who shelled the Arcana Justice within her. After what happened last year, it wouldn't be surprising if she wondered if it had to do with that world again. Noticing how hard he was staring, his eyes softened, "Why would you ask that?"

"Well… Dad's busy again and… when you asked me if I was okay yesterday, I didn't say too much, but my stomach really hurt," she said, frowning a bit. She fell silent and looked over at the TV. She was silent as she thought, but then suddenly rose to her feet, running into the kitchen. She opened the fridge, "Oh no. I forgot to deliver these."

Souji looked back. Nanako was staring at a plate of rice balls carefully covered in plastic. He raised an eyebrow, "For a friend of yours at school?"

She looked back and smiled faintly, "Yeah! He's been home sick and… I thought I could visit him."

…? Was she lying to him? He frowned, but nodded slowly, "I see. Guess you'll have to take them tomorrow. It isn't safe to go out at night."

Her small footsteps grew louder as she returned to the table and sat down, sighing, "I know. Dad said the same thing after Naoto-kun was hurt. He's been at the station a lot because they don't believe her and are trying to find whoever's doing it."

Souji closed his eyes. Black flames and red eyes flickered across his vision. Blood dripped from the form and its rendered faceless bodies to nothing. Growling, heavy breathing, he didn't know. The ruby eyes flashed to him with a snarl and his eyes snapped open. Nanako frowned, "Big bro, whatever's doing it… it's not from the TV world right? Teddie showed it to me. It's so nice there and it's just… why is this happening?"

"… I don't know Nanako, but whatever it is, we'll get to the bottom of it," Souji said, smiling reassuringly. She nodded, but then closed her eyes.

"Will Dad be okay? He's not gonna end up in the hospital too, is he?"

"He won't Nanako… actually…"

He turned his head and looked back at the front door. There was a soft click and the door slid open. Ryotaru Dojima walked into the foyer with a sigh, kicking off his shoes. A burnt cigarette butt dangled from his mouth as he grunted, "I'm home you two."

"Hi Dad!" Nanako exclaimed happily, jumping to her feet, "Welcome home!"

"Ah, is dinner still warm?" he asked, setting his jacket on the couch nearby and flicking his cigarette into the waste bin. She nodded quickly and walked into the kitchen while he took a seat at the table. The news report was coming on.

"_It's been two days since Kanji Tatsumi was admitted into the hospital after police were led to his house on what was believed to be a prank call. Detectives and doctors have concluded his attacker was the same in a recent string of murders occurring in Yasoinaba. When questioning doctors about his condition, Dr. Tonegawa replied: "He was lucky for that prank call. Had it been any later and there would've been nothing we could do."_

_That's rather scary to hear, isn't it?"_

The news anchormen started talking with each other while Dojima let out an irritated grunt, "Dammit… we finish one case and get this. Just when the media circus left and now they're streaming back."

He turned his eyes from the television and gazed at Souji, "You don't have any ideas, do you Souji? As hard as it is for me to believe, but you're connected to this somehow, aren't you? It's been all your friends ending up in the hospital…"

"… I'm afraid somehow we are, but I don't even know why this all started. I'm sorry Uncle," Souji replied, frowning a bit. Dojima stared at him, but then let out a breath and nodded his head.

"Just be careful, Souji…" he murmured. Nanako came back at that moment and Dojima changed from the news, smiling as she sung the Junes theme.

oOoOoOo

Me: Four down, four standing, Nanako's friend, Mrs. Valentine, Alice, and the books. Everything's in place. Please review.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 12

oOoOoOo

_Skies stretched endlessly higher in shades of powder blue to heights were they faded to cerulean. Emerald leaves of the forest reached to touch, dancing from breezes that it gently blew back. Fields of grass became rippling water in vast clearings that disappeared into the horizon; all the majestic beauty and calm emanated from here and flowed out to the earth and water._

_He doesn't remember leaving his view point, but he finds himself walking passed streams and bubbling brooks and entering the vast clearing of a shimmering gold meadow. It's hard to see them darting in and out of the tall stalks, but children could be heard laughing and yelling to each other, their feet crushing little roots under step as they moved about with smiles. Briefly, he saw a young girl with wavy gray hair and bright crimson eyes pouncing on another girl with the darkest blue eyes and thick black hair._

"_I caught the mandragora!!!" the red eye girl exclaimed, but then was knocked off the other girl's back by small wings. She scrambled to her feet, frowning, "Nyx! That hurt!"_

"_Well sitting on my back hurt too, Nami!" the other girl cried, sitting on her knees now, her wings folding back as she pouted._

"_Nami! Nyx! Mama's calling us!"_

_Abandoning the coming argument and standing up, they disappeared into the field again, racing to the voice that called them. What was going on? He never felt this confused before. He dashed after the two girls, following the moving stems to keep track of them. They leapt into a forest and he almost stumbled over the tree roots, not even taking into account the ruins he was passing. Only when he caught up did he pause._

_Ten children gathered around a figure with flowing, silver-white hair dressed most eloquently for such a bizarre place. Feathers decorated her hair around her ears, odd shades of violet and blue that glowed in the faint light. He couldn't make out her face as she turned, but he could see her radiant smile. In her arms was another child; infant to be more exact, but it suddenly faded. Everything faded actually except for her. Slowly, gracefully upon the emptiness they stood, she walked forward, each step lighter than the last. He tried moving back, but his body refused to listen. He flinched as cold, pale hands touched his face and he looked down at the woman before him._

_His eyes widened as vacant blue stared at him. The silence was making his ears ring; he wanted to say something, anything to break it, but he couldn't. Nothing would come out of his mouth._

"… _Izanagi."_

_It was soft, like a flutter of wings against the air; had the woman really spoken?_

_The words escaped him before any recognition._

"_Mom…?"_

Souji's eyes opened and he stared at the ceiling, listening to the rain strike against it steadily. Summer rain today, but it didn't drive the thought of the woman out of his head. Her blank eyes seemed upset, searching for the spark that once made them glow. What could've done this?

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"_Big bro! Breakfast's ready!"_

"… I'll be down in a second Nanako," Souji replied, easing himself out of bed and gathering the sheets at the end as he got out and stretched. His mind was unsettled, the voices of his personas ringing in his ears as they milled around in confusion. Izanagi-no-Okami seemed to be the only one who didn't speak. He frowned, staring at the television for a moment, but then turned away to get dressed.

He missed wearing the Yasogami uniform. It was probably just nostalgia from last year, but who could blame him. Wrinkle out on the sleeve; hair slanted this way… he wondered what books he would have for class as he left his room and walked downstairs. Nanako had made poached eggs with some orange juice, but the chef wasn't present in the kitchen at all.

"I'll be home later tonight, alright Nanako?"

"Okay! Be careful at work, Dad!"

Souji appeared just in time to see the front door close and Nanako come back into the kitchen. She smiled up at Souji, "Morning, Big bro!"

"Good morning, Nanako," he replied, smiling back, "Did you sleep well?"

"… Kinda," she said, frowning. He sat down at the table, not removing his eyes from her as he frowned.

"What happened? Was it a nightmare?"

She shook her head, "Uh uh. I don't know why, but it sounded like someone was calling me. They sounded really sad and like they were in pain. I started crying in the dream and then I woke up crying too. Big bro… did you have a weird dream too?"

Souji didn't reply right away, but nodded slowly, "Let's… not talk about it right now. We should eat and get going, yes?"

"Okay, but promise you'll tell me? I wanna know what's going on this time," Nanako said. Her concern was almost overwhelming, but it was comforting to feel Justice still firmly connected to him. He nodded again and both of them resigned to eating before the food got too cold.

oOoOoOo

"_A dream? Dude, are you okay? Well, now that you mention it, I was standing somewhere. I think it was a wasteland and someone was standing next to me."_

So Daisuke hadn't been without a strange night either…

"_O-Oh… senpai! A dream? Uhm, I was falling from the sky, but I never hit the ground. I think someone caught me and I woke up."_

Ayane…

"_I… don't know what I was doing that last scene. Forgive me. Last night, I had this dream of a wasteland, but someone was calling me, telling me to come and see… something."_

Yumi…

"_Me? I don't know, but I was fighting a whole crowd of dead people and someone else was with me! You don't think it was some… déjà vu thing, right?"_

Kou was freaking out…

"_Huh? I can't remember much, but I remember there was a very warm feeling in my chest this morning. It made me embarrassed."_

Ai had a fluttering heart. That explained her good mood.

"_I felt like I was waiting for someone in a field and collecting herbs in the mean time. Wonder if that has any future medical implications…"_

Naoki didn't seem too concerned, but he nodded to Souji, "Is there any specific reason you're asking me this?"

"Just checking up on everyone," Souji replied, "I'll see you later Naoki. I have to get to the hospital to see the others."

"Sure… oh, could you tell Yukiko-senpai to get some more sleep? She's been walking around the halls sometimes and appears exhausted," Naoki said, "You don't want another friend in the hospital due to illness, right?"

"I'll tell her. Thanks, Naoki."

The dusty blonde second-year nodded and walked away while Souji walked downstairs to the school entrance. Yukiko had already left for Mirren-sensei's house to read (Chie told him about the weird fantasy books she had been reading there) and Rise was busy at the tofu shop today. Well, it gave him the opportunity to talk to Chie and see if she had a weird dream before reaching the hospital.

Seemed like the martial artist had the same thought. The moment he saw her at the shoe lockers, she turned and walked over, frowning, "Souji… can I talk to you before we head to the hospital?"

"Of course," Souji said, nodding. Faintly, she smiled, but then looked around. She walked over to the door and he followed quietly until they stood near the near-empty bike rack. Once more, she glanced around, but then sighed quietly.

"Okay. Uhm… I had a strange dream last night," she muttered, still fearing someone would overhear. Just as he suspected; he nodded to her to continue. Chie bit her lip, "Well… it was weird. There was this guy with white hair and red eyes talking to me, but I couldn't understand anything. Suddenly, he just left and I was left standing by some ruins… I think they were ruins anyway… then, I said Suzuka Gongen and snapped awake."

Souji blinked. That was different from the others, but almost identical to his dream. "Did you say anything else?" he pressed.

"… Now that you mention it, while I was sitting in bed, I think I said 'Mom'," Chie replied, scratching her head, "Ugh, you must think that's so weird."

As he allowed the silence to draw out, Chie's cheeks flared from embarrassment, but then he murmured, "I had a strange dream too, but I was out of body."

"… Huh?"

"I saw children playing a game in a field and then a woman with silver hair. She spoke to me… no, she spoke to Izanagi," Souji said calmly, watching Chie's eyes widen as he spoke. He closed his eyes, "I've been asking everyone if they've been having odd dreams today. Most of them mentioned someone being there or calling to them also."

"Hmmm… do you think everyone had a weird dream like that?"

"Most likely."

Chie tilted her head a bit, but then sighed, "Why is this happening now? Oh well, Suzuka Gongen has been really jumpy since this morning… We should try--!! Oh duck!"

Souji blinked and almost turned around until Chie pulled him down behind the rack. He raised an eyebrow towards her, but she pointed back to the school gates. He looked back and stared. Mrs. Valentine was standing there, her violet eyes glinting as she turned, looking around the campus. While she was turned away, Souji's eye caught something red clipped in her hair band.

"Is she looking for something?" Chie asked under her breath. He didn't say anything, watching as Mrs. Valentine placed a hand on her chest briefly with a grimace. Quickly, she jogged out of the school gates and disappeared from their sight.

Together, Souji and Chie stood up, still staring at the spot Mrs. Valentine had been standing at. Chie frowned, "What was that about?"

…

_Her breathing was labored as the chain returned to her hands and she leapt aside yet again. It was too fast even for herself and its claws…_

_She landed a few feet back, briefly looking at the tear in her red cloak, but then scowled back at the black demon. It was difficult to make it out against the dark night and with the street lamps out, she would have to rely on senses. At a choked gasp, she shot a glance over at the man. His gray, buttoned up shirt was dying crimson quickly and it was soaking into his black slacks as well. He grimaced, his gray eyes shutting in pain and his teeth gnashed as he tried reaching to his holster._

"_Sir! Stay still!" she yelled, but the black shadow noticed. It leapt over her and she growled, swinging the chains after it. The chains rattled as it encircled the black leg and she tugged, hard. It landed on its claws, swiping at the chains, but hissed as it was shocked. The scarlet eyes stared sharply at her, but they disappeared as their owner sprang into the distance._

_For a few seconds, she kept her guard up, but then the air's tension melted away. Her hands lowered and the chains rested on her hands and around her waist as she walked over to the bleeding man. Carefully, she knelt down, reaching into a small satchel hidden under her cloak. The grizzled man's eyes were on her as she pulled out a bottle of white liquid, a label with an 'H' tethered around its neck._

"_W-Who…?"_

"_Do not speak. You must drink this," she ordered, taking the cork out of the bottle. His panting was heavy from exhaustion, but a stern flicker in his eye defied her demand. There was no time for this. For one thing, she could hear sirens drawing towards this location. Another was she could sense something familiar on him; the faint aura of Souji Seta and someone else. It was fragile, young… a child's energy…_

"… _Forgive me for this," she murmured before forcing the contents of the bottle into his mouth. He couldn't really fight back, coughing as the bitter concoction spilled down his throat. She only pulled it back when it was empty, rising to her feet. She started walking away, but then paused as he called out:_

"_Wait! W-Who… ergh, what did you do?"_

"… _Unlike the other boy, you were conscious. I gave you a Healing Tonic," she said, but then shook her head, "Doctors will still need to patch you up, but you'll be able to return to your family."_

_Another question was coming, but she raced off, leaping over the railing at the far end of the park. With a grunt, Dojima held his chest as the wounds slowed in bleeding and painfully started to close. When it stopped, they appeared like a dog's claw marks. It was a wonder, but then so was that woman. How was she able to drive that demon away?_

"… _Dammit. Souji, you better know something about this," he muttered just as several police and an ambulance arrived._

oOoOoOo

Me: Please review.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 13

oOoOoOo

Two more weeks without close incident, but Nanako was quieter at home than she would like to be. Her father had still been hurt despite her Big Bro's promise. It made her upset, but she couldn't blame him. Her father got tangled in because of work; Big Bro couldn't stop her dad from working. She stopped her musings as she approached the abandoned store and walked inside, smiling, "Hello Oswald-san!"

There was a groan and shifting in the back as usual. For some reason, her new friend was always sleeping until late afternoon. Then again, if she didn't visit, he would probably sleep all day and never leave until evening. She giggled, shrugging off her school bag as she walked over to the counter, opening the door to the back. Immediately, she frowned, noticing his gloved hand. It were torn in several places, his pale skin emblazoned with fresh scars. It was pulled out of her sight in a second and she looked up, meeting his red eyes.

"Good afternoon, Nanako," he replied, brushing his white hair back a bit. She noticed he barely spoke unless she actually said something, but she was use to starting conversations anyway. She sat down in front of him.

"What happened to your hand?" she asked curiously. He was sitting strangely; his back was straight, one knee was bent up towards his torso while his other leg rested flat on the ground. The arm which had the hand in question was resting on the bent knee. His red eyes flickered down to it and slowly, he shook his head.

"'Tis nothing you should concern yourself with," he said calmly, "It'll heal without consequence."

"How do you know? It looks like it cut through your armor…" she trailed, tilting her head and then blinked, "… You never told me why you wear armor anyway. Are you like my Big Bro?"

"Hm? Your 'Big Bro'?"

"Uh huh!" Nanako said, smiling, "Well, actually, he's my cousin, but he's like the brother I never had. He doesn't mind me calling him that."

"I see. However, I… don't understand what that has to do with my armor," Oswald stated, raising an eyebrow.

She paused, wondering if she said too much as she bit her lip. She looked down at her lap, "Uh… if I tell you, you won't make fun of me, right?"

"Children always have stories. It would be cruel for me to make fun of you."

Nanako grinned, "Yay! It might be long and I don't know everything correctly, but Big Bro explained most of it to me!"

"Alright."

She nodded, beaming still, "Okay. Well, last year… uh, maybe that's too far back… hm."

"Start where ever you wish," Oswald said, nodding his head once as encouragement.

"Just tell me if it's getting too long or you don't get something," she replied. Again, he nodded. She shifted a bit to make herself more comfortable, "Okay. Last year, Big Bro came to stay with us because his parents were going overseas for work. I think it was the next day that a body was found on an antenna somewhere in town. It was this lady who had been in an affair – I think that's the word; I don't know what it means – with this really important man so my Dad was put on the case."

"Antenna?"

"Yeah. It's… uh, I'm not really sure how to describe it," Nanako said, tapping her cheek, "It stands on a roof and it's attached by a metal pole. At the top, there's this metal thing that looks like a really pointy fork."

He just sat there, his brows furrowed as he tried to imagine what that looked like. Nanako fought the urge to giggle. He reminded her of Big Bro when she tried describing a doll she had seen at Junes. When it appeared Oswald had given up, she continued, telling him how another body was found and they had gone to her Big Bro's school. (Here, he interrupted again to know what a 'school' was.)

"Anyway, he told me that there was this other world inside the TV. There were monsters and people were getting thrown in," Nanako explained, "Big Bro would always have armor in his room, but I never told Dad. Even when sometimes he had swords, I couldn't tell Dad because Big Bro and his friends were saving everyone."

"Have you seen this world yourself?"

Her expression fell, "Uh… once. I was kidnapped by this delivery man who was really the important man from that affair case. I don't remember too much because it was foggy and my head hurt. I ended up in the hospital after Big Bro came to save me."

"I'm… sorry to hear that," Oswald whispered, but Nanako shook her head.

"It's okay. In the end, Big Bro and everyone caught the bad guy and defeated this really mean lady who covered Teddie's world in the fog."

"… What did this woman look like?" Oswald asked, scowling a bit, but Nanako didn't notice.

"He said she had short gray or silver hair, red eyes, and pale skin," she answered, but then paused, "Actually, she kinda looks like you, just her hair is darker."

"Did your 'Big Bro' say what her name was?"

Nanako tilted her head from side to side, thinking, "I think… Teddie told me her name was Izanami. She's the opposite of Big Bro's spirit though! Izanagi helps him fight the bad monsters."

Oswald's eyes widened and he lowered his head, pupils darting as he mulled over the information. She frowned at the silence, "Uhm… Oswald-san, are you okay?"

"Hm!?" his eyes shot up to her and she jumped. His eyes seemed to be glowing through the darkness, but then dulled to their regular luster, "… Nothing. I knew someone once named Izanami, but it's been quite some time."

"Was she a nice person?"

His eyes darkened, "At one time, she was very kind, but events can warp even the kindest of people."

"Oswald-san…"

"Nanako, it's getting late. Your brother must be worried about your whereabouts," he cut-in, smiling faintly, "I do not mean to dismiss you, but we can speak more tomorrow. You mustn't keep your family on edge."

"Uh huh," she said, sounding a bit sad, but she picked up her school bag, walking over to the door. The sharp clicking of metal on metal drew her attention back and she blinked, surprised to see Oswald towering over her. He didn't say anything, but simply walked with her to the front door, bidding her good bye as she left. What she didn't see was his right eye glowing brightly nor the scars disappearing as his hand balled tightly into a fist.

"_Her brother and his friends… they must know something…"_

oOoOoOo

"Oh, so you're almost done with Armageddon?"

Yukiko raised her eyes to Alice, "Hm? Oh, yes…"

"Is something wrong?"

"It's just… Mercedes. She was Yggdrasil and just…" Yukiko trailed, frowning, "Did she really have to die?"

"She had to serve her purpose in the prophecy," Alice replied, patting Yukiko's shoulder, "If you think about it, the Great Tree is still alive in her place, protecting the world."

"… I would like to see this tree one day," Yukiko said, smiling. Picking up the bookmark she had been using, she slipped it into the pages before the Act 4: The Cauldron. She handed the dark brown tome to Alice, rising to her feet after grabbing her book bag from the ground. She watched her sensei return the book to the shelf before asking, "Why is the medallion missing from that book?"

"That was my fault. When I was a child reading it the first time, I took it off because it resembled a Valentine Coin. I never found it again after I left the attic," Alice explained, blushing a bit from embarrassment, "I swear, I turned everything upside down to find it, but I never did."

"Maybe there was a reason it was missing," Yukiko said and Alice nodded. Together, they walked over to the front door and Yukiko bowed before departing for the evening. As she walked down the sidewalk, she mused over the books she had read and definitely agreed with Alice. The author had done an amazing job tying the stories and characters together and the romance between all of them just made her heart hammer. By far, they were the best fantasy books ever.

She stopped walking as a gust of wind breezed around her, whipping her hair into her eyes for a moment until she smoothed it behind her ear again. That was oddly cold counting summer was here now. Raising her head, she looked back, eyebrows curved up, worried at the omen. A car hadn't sped by… and there didn't seem to be anything odd behind her. Gradually, she turned away and proceeded again. Good thing tomorrow was Sunday or else her mother would be beyond furious for her coming home late again.

…?

She looked back again. It felt like someone was watching her, but from where?

"… Huh!?" Yukiko gasped and turned left quickly. Someone had just moved; she had seen it! Wait, it was still there, coming closer.

"S-Stay back! I-I have a… book bag, and I'm not afraid to use it…!" she exclaimed, sidling back a bit. It was still coming closer and it sprang so suddenly, she shrieked, falling backwards and shielding herself behind her bag.

"Meow!"

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at the blue eyes of a white cat. It nuzzled her leg, tail lazily moving back and forth as it purred. She blinked, lowering her back and smiled nervously, "You startled me, silly cat. Hm… you must be one of the strays Kanji-kun takes care of. I'm sorry, but he won't be out of the hospital until Wednesday."

The colorless cat stared up at her, blue eyes twinkling expectantly. She shook her head, "I… don't think I have any food on me. Well, if I do, it's probably really cold…"

She moved to open her bag when the cat turned and its ears twitched. Its fur started rising and its lips curled back as it hissed. Yukiko blinked and turned, snapping her bag shut. She still didn't see anything…

"_**Move!"**_

"Ah…!"

Yukiko must've blacked out for a second because before she knew it, she was standing five feet back from a flaming figure with shining scarlet eyes, the cat tightly in her arms. Amazingly, she was unscathed and the cat continued growling angrily at the assailant. Unfortunately, it had already clicked what this thing was. She remembered it clearly from the hospital when it tried attacking Chie only for Yosuke to intercept. The scarlet eyes flickered, momentarily looking at the cat, but then shot back up to Yukiko. Its claws flexed and curled shut, hesitating while Yukiko took a nervous step back. She blinked and stumbled as a multitude of blue, violet, and black feathers flew before her eyes, disappearing into the night sky in an instant.

The scarlet eyes widened briefly before narrowing. Yukiko looked around for the white cat when the dark flaming creature sprung at her, claws raised.

_Amber eyes flickered and Elizabeth smiled widely._

The claws were halted by a gleaming blade and Yukiko's eyes widened as the shimmering white coat fell before her eyes. Izanagi-no-Okami pushed the shadow back, his own eyes flashing briefly as he spun the massive spear in hand, gold claws glinting in the darkness. The black flames paused, staring and the Persona stared back as well.

"Yukiko!"

"Souji-kun…!? How did you…!"

The silver-haired teen ran up and shook his head, taking hold of her hand, "No time to explain! We have to get out of here while Izanagi holds that thing back!"

"Thing?"

'_It looks familiar… maybe something I imagined before?'_

"Call your mom! I'll take you home tomorrow morning!" he exclaimed before dragging her into running. Yukiko stumbled for a second, but hastily regained her steps. Souji's connection with Izanagi-no-Okami's physical form was waning.

"_Father…" The black flames raised their head. Izanagi-no-Okami floated still, starting to become see-through._

A few more houses… around this streetlamp; Souji's head was ready to split open.

_The dark flames started fading, revealing dull, black armor. "Izanagi…?"_

'_I can't… it's almost him…' _Souji thought, but Izanagi was retreating faster and his mind was shutting down. He crashed into several trashcans, knocking them over and releasing Yukiko's hand.

"Souji-kun!"

'_L-Let me see… the face…!'_

"_**Rest now… you mustn't know at this time…"**_

The world became black.

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Me: Please review.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 14

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"_So… you have summoned Izanagi-no-Okami. Just as predicted, you are still one with the World."_

_Souji opened his eyes, surprised to find himself in the Velvet Room. Elizabeth was sitting on his left, Margaret on his right, and Igor remained across from him, his spindly fingers intertwined as his chin rested on them as always. His grin was, if possible, wider, "You have seen the shadow, but not all is as it seems. You walk the edge between life and death, both of which must be brought together."_

_Slowly, Souji nodded, but then frowned, "Igor, why could I summon Izanagi in the real world?"_

"_It is my contract," Elizabeth said now, "Previously, my master and I allowed a young man like yourself to summon in an alternate dimension still parallel with your world. It is not difficult to allow personas on the human's plane. It has been done before."_

"_Quite…" Igor said, unraveling his fingers as he chuckled._

"_Have you located the crystal?" Margaret asked. Souji looked over at her and shook his head. _

"_I have no idea where to start," he replied honestly._

_She closed her eyes, "Of course… You must find the World Tree."_

"_World… Tree?"_

"_Two potential allies know of its location, but it should be obvious where it's hidden," Elizabeth said, grinning, "Ask that bear of yours as well."_

"_I believe we have held you here long enough. You should awaken the others before the finale," Igor said, smiling, "Feel free to come back if you have any more questions. Until then… farewell."_

…

"He's starting to come to…"

"He is?!"

"Sensei!"

"Souji-kun!"

"Big Bro!"

His face scrunched for a moment, but then his eyelids parted. He blinked several times, silver eyes darting around, taking in everything slowly. He was on the couch in the front room of the Dojima Household. Dojima, Teddie, Yukiko, and Nanako were hovering around him, all of them moving back as he sat up, holding his forehead. It was throbbing wildly, Izanagi-No-Okami unsettled in his skull. "What… how are we…?" his sentences were broken as he rubbed his head.

Yukiko's eyes fell to her hands, "Uhm… well."

"I brought you here with Amagi's guidance."

Souji blinked at the new voice and turned his head towards the low table. Golden blonde waves spilled over shoulders hidden in a red cloak. Delicate hands held a cup of steaming tea to red lips and he stared as violet eyes looked back at him. Mrs. Valentine lowered the cup and sighed, "To think you were tangled in this mess. I knew your auras were strange especially your friend. Reminds me of a bear more than a human."

Teddie turned bright red and looked down. Dojima stared at the woman for a moment, "You helped me a few weeks ago."

"Indeed…" she replied with a small sigh, "That monster is proving to be a problem."

"Do you even know what that thing is?" Souji demanded. Slowly, she nodded and he glowered, "Just who the hell are you?"

Nanako's eyes widened at Souji's tone and she stepped away, a little nervous. He wasn't paying attention though. Mrs. Valentine turned her head, closing her eyes as she refused to answer. Yukiko gasped suddenly, "Wait, I think I know who you are!"

Eyes turned on the heiress, surprised. She looked down, nodding to herself, "I just finished reading the book not too long ago. Your name… its Velvet, isn't it?"

"… I haven't been called by my first name in ages except by my husband," Mrs. Valentine – no, Velvet – answered, "And you found it out from a book?"

"Mirren-sensei said they have been in her family for ages," Yukiko replied, "Now that we're on familiar ground, could you please answer a few questions?"

"Seeing as you children appear to be its targets, I see no harm."

Souji growled under his breath. It was that easy to get this woman to talk? Whatever, as long as they could get something from her instead of having her save them all the time. "What was that monster?" he asked, calming himself down quickly.

"Nanako, go to your room," Dojima said so the discussion could be private. He was surprised when Nanako shook her head defiantly.

"No. Big bro and the others are doing what they can. I wanna help this time," the young girl said, "I promise to be careful Dad. Besides, you're going to help them too."

The older man scratched his head. Well, there was no denying that. He looked back at Velvet and nodded his head, signaling her to proceed. She nodded back once and looked around at them all, "That creature… is a human taking on a demonic form. I don't know how they received this power though; the one who bestowed it was slain many centuries ago."

"A specific number?"

Velvet shook her head, "`Tis been a cursed life for me and my husband. Keeping track of the eons passing is as difficult as keeping water in ones hand."

Nanako blinked at Velvet's manner of speech, but nobody took note. Dojima stepped forward, "Why did you save us?"

"There's a reason this person has taken a demon form and I have a feeling it has something to do with you," she answered simply, "Your auras… I can sense strange powers in the air around you. Seta, your aura is more complex almost as though it's both unstable, but thoroughly managed. Something stands out though; it's similar to that white-clad figure I saw."

Souji and Yukiko's eyes widened. Velvet rose to her feet, "Anyway, I must be going. Everything has changed and I must return home. If you wish to speak to me again, it must be after school hours. Before nightfall, I remain at home on the outskirts near the train station, but afterwords, I'm afraid I'm tracking down and stemming the murders as best as I can."

"Wait, why are you just… telling us now?" Souji asked, startled that she just said that.

Velvet didn't respond immediately. Instead, she bowed her head, her violet eyes looking elsewhere as she thought, "We each have a goal whose main enemy is the creature. Something about your auras attracts it yet can repel it. It's confusing, but you might be the solution to saving the human's soul."

She raised her head, "Anyway, we need time to plan. Excuse me."

"Uh, goodbye," Nanako said, walking Velvet to the door. Dojima, Yukiko, and Souji exchanged glances.

"What was that about?" Dojima sighed.

"She helped bring Souji-kun back to the house and she can fight off the creature without a persona," Yukiko murmured, "But how? She can't be _from_ the book, can she?"

"What book are you talking about?"

She looked up, noticing Souji staring at her with a hard gaze. Faintly, her cheeks turned red, "O-Oh… I think Chie explained it to you. I've been going over to Mirren-sensei's house because she has this interesting book series. I'm currently on the second-to-last book, but Velvet was a character in the book previous. She was the exiled princess of the decimated Kingdom of Valentine."

"… What about the other books? Were there any before hers?" Souji pressed.

Yukiko nodded, "Of course. It wouldn't have been a series without it."

He urged her to tell more about the books. They sounded parallel to the happenings.

"Hm… well, the first one was about Gwendolyn. She was a valkyrie and Velvet was her half-sister. She got wedded to the Shadow Knight… wait a second, Shadow…?" she trailed, but then snapped out of her thoughts, "O-oh, the second was about Cornelius and he was a prince cursed into this animal form… third was Mercedes and she had to fight her cousin to be rightfully Queen of the fairies. Fourth was Oswald…"

Nanako turned her head, a small gasp going unheard as Yukiko continued, but then paused, "Could it be? Souji-kun, maybe… it's following the book."

"There's a chance, but then we're missing two characters," Souji pointed out, "We have yet to see Gwendolyn and, from your description, could that shadow creature _be_ Oswald?"

"…! That's why I thought that shadow was familiar!" she exclaimed, "It has to be him… but, it doesn't make any sense. He isn't a cold-blooded killer; at least, he's not meant to be like this I think. The book described his form as an animalistic embodiment of Hellfire. His claws render all foes that stand before him and his black armor is never to be cleaned of bloodshed. Of course, that's just the book's description."

"So Hell has metaphorically descended on Inaba," Souji whispered with a grimace. He shot his gaze to Teddie, "Does the name ring a bell at all, Teddie?"

"Uh… which name?" Teddie asked, confused after all the talk. There were several frustrated sighs from everyone except Nanako. She walked over to Dojima and tugged his sleeve.

"Dad… could you tuck me in?"

"Hm? Sure Nanako," he said calmly, taking hold of her hand, "This must be scaring you."

"Just a little…" she murmured. She didn't like where any of this was going. Both of them walked down the hall while Souji, Yukiko, and Teddie remained in the front.

"Oswald…? I-I'm sorry, sensei. The truth is I never met Father personally so I have no idea what his name is. Also, I'm not an immediate descendant of Father's," Teddie said, shaking his head with a frown, "The first children born… I don't even know them. Teddie was born from one of them and human emotions. Maybe I could remember more at home…"

"Inside the television? We can go there tomorrow if the doctor's give Yosuke the okay," Souji said. He turned to Yukiko, "You'll be able to call Chie, right?"

"I don't see why not. I'll send her a text right now," she answered, opening her phone, "Shall I text Rise-chan too?"

"If you don't mind."

She nodded once and started sending out the word. Souji lowered his head, thinking. Despite the possible lead, they still had no idea if the shadow _was_ this Oswald character. In fact, it still seemed far-fetched. Characters from fantasy books being real? They weren't tangled in some cosplayer game were they? No, Mrs. Valen – Velvet had been serious and she could see his personas. Not only that, but she could sense them on him and everyone else. Did that mean everyone in town or the people he bonded with? Kou, Daisuke, Yumi, Ayane, Ai, Naoki, Dojima, and Nanako… were they involved in this too? And what about this woman who had spoken to Izanagi? He called her mom…

"_Nagi…"_

"…!?"

His eyes widened; what was going on?

"… Sensei? Are you alright?" Teddie asked.

_A pale hand stroked silver hair behind a blue feather decoration. Her black corset fell to folds of white, blue, and black again as the dress hid her legs. She sat, resting upon the massive roots of a towering tree. They crossed over each other forming a tangled mass as they burrowed into the earth. He stared for a moment longer, but then returned his eyes to the woman. He blinked. When had there been a child there? He had fair, short silver hair, but gentle red eyes that were partially open._

"_Rest, Nagi… shhh…"_

"_I-Is father still angered?"_

"_No, `tis something else that worries him greatly," the woman whispered, "He loves you and the others. How a gateway to the Netherworld was opened… promise me, you'll keep the others from entering."_

"_I do, mother."_

"_**Mother…"**_

"S-Sensei?"

Souji gasped, snapping back to reality and exclaimed, "Wha!?"

"W-We don't know. You just seemed to space out and then you said 'mother'," Yukiko explained calmly, though, her eyes bulged in shock.

He stared for a moment, but then scowled, "I-It's not… it's Izanagi. I think it was a memory of his… there was a giant tree, a woman, and a small boy she called 'Nagi'."

"Well, Nagi is a shortened name for 'Izanagi'," she answered. She frowned, "Maybe you should get some rest. Chie and Rise-chan responded. They'll meet us at Junes, 12 o' clock sharp."

"Good… uh, wait."

He looked over at Teddie, "Are you staying here tonight, too?"

"Can I sensei?" Teddie asked, "It's lonely without Yosuke snoring at his house."

Souji sweat dropped and glanced at Yukiko. How was this going to work?

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Me: I leave for college soon. Updates will probably slow down. Please Review.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

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Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 15

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They had to postpone their exploration for the rest of the week. When Yosuke was finally released in the morning, the doctor gave them a firm warning that he couldn't do any strenuous activities. Going through the TV wasn't exactly that, but the landing was pretty bad. Yukiko casted a healing spell on his stitches as Chie and Rise came falling in after Souji, Teddie, Yukiko, and Yosuke. "Still feels like I was on a chopping block," Yosuke grumbled as he sat still for Yukiko, sighing as the pain in his back lessened.

"You shouldn't have dove through head first," Souji said, shaking his head. Yosuke crashed into him after all. With a sigh, he turned away, eyes gazing around the television world. It was like his dream he had weeks ago, but it was silent save for the wind gusting through the fields and forest. At the sound of a clearing throat, he turned back, noticing everyone standing, their weapons with them just in case. He nodded to Teddie, "Alright. Lead the way to… where ever you remember things best."

"Okay! I'll take you guys to my home then," Teddie replied, beaming and ran forward, his bear paws squeaking with each step. They followed with little words exchanged. They were more interested in the fields and rivers they passed. Yukiko gasped at an array of colorful bird-like animals while Chie jumped for almost stepping on a blue bear with a… bag and honey jar.

"Teddie, what are those?" Rise asked, watching a translucent blue and purple butterfly land on a nearby tree.

"Huh? The animals? Well… they're shadows," Teddie said, pausing for a moment. Chie blinked.

"Say what now?"

Teddie nodded, his smile widening, "Yeah. See, since this world is affected by humans, this is what shadows look like normally. Of course, there are still some that are violent, but nothing remains peaceful forever, right?"

"Well… I suppose that's true," she sighed, scratching her head a bit. The bear nodded and took off again, splashing through a small stream. Some shadows raced off at the sounds they made as they passed through while others looked on, screeching, chirping, or squawking. It started getting darker and the presence of the shadows lessened. Yosuke stumbled into a bush, wincing.

"Dammit! Of course I fall into the one with thorns…"

"We're almost there, Yosuke! Yuki-chan can heal you when we get there!"

"Where is 'there'?" Rise asked, but then looked up, her eyes widening, "T-This…"

"H-Holy crap," Chie muttered, "This is the biggest tree I've ever seen!"

Everyone was staring up at the massive tree, amazed at how high the branches reached to the sky. Emerald rained down on the roots as they twisted together and punctured the earth. Few shadows lingered in the tree's shade, but instead, soft colors glowed on the bark as insects crawled around. Teddie walked over to the tangle of roots, climbing over them until her paused at an opening, "Over here!"

He climbed inside while the others made their way over, Chie shaking the entire time due to the bugs. Teddie was pulling off his bear suit as Souji climbed in followed closely by Chie, Yosuke, Yukiko, and Rise. "Wow, this is pretty nice," Rise said, surprised how much space was in the hole. He nodded, grinning.

"Yeah! I even have my own night light," he said and stepped aside. Souji's eyes bulged. Within the roots, firmly in their hold, was a bright red crystal. Faint, white lights danced inside the gem, making it fluctuate between dim and glimmering as they stared, quiet. Souji could've sworn he heard someone talking, but… nobody was.

"It makes weird noises from time to time, but I can never make it out," Teddie said, placing a hand on the crystal. It glowed brighter, the sounds getting louder and Souji could hear why it was difficult. The sound was meshed together; a mixture of shouting and screams, crying and odd screeching like a wounded animal.

Yukiko frowned, "It sounds terrible."

"Ugh, it reminds me of Izanami in her last form when she was shrieking," Chie said, covering her ears a bit.

… Shrieking?

"Sounds like someone's dying! Ted, take your hand off of that," Yosuke said, wincing at a nasty scream in particular.

Souji leapt to his feet, smacking his head against the roof of roots. Rise covered her mouth, surprised as he exclaimed, "That's the crystal! That's the key to all of this! We can stop it now!"

"My night light is the answer?" Teddie questioned, confused.

"Find the red crystal that whispers death," Souji said, approaching the crystal now.

"Whisper? That thing yells," Yosuke grumbled, rubbing his forehead. Chie nodded in agreement, but then tilted her head.

"Why is this specifically the 'key'? Is it because of it screaming death or… w-wait, you think those lights are something else?" she gasped, "They're souls of the dead! It's cursed!"

"Of course you would think of something like that."

"Say that again, Yosuke…"

"… Mrs. Valentine told me about this crystal," Souji murmured and everyone stopped talking. He touched it, wincing a bit. He pulled his hand away and stared as the lights settled, "… A crystal that can mean salvation or destruction and gains powers from absorbing the souls of the dead."

"… It's a psypher."

Eyes turned to Yukiko as she rose leisurely to her feet and walked over. She looked closely at it and then nodded, "Yes. These were in the books. Gwendolyn, Cornelius, Mercedes, Oswald, and Velvet all had psyphers and used them in battle. Gwendolyn and Cornelius had blue psyphers though… and they were all supposed to be gone…"

Hesitantly, she raised a hand, reaching out to the crystal and touched it delicately. She gasped and suddenly, the whole tree seemed to shake. Souji grabbed hold of Yukiko's arm and pulled her back, his eyes darting around as the shaking worsened. A shriek drew their attention back to Chie who pointed at the red gem. Everyone fell back, shocked as a ghostly apparition started to emerge from the roots tangling around it. Long, pale blonde hair, a great crown of flowers, large, pale teal and black butterfly wings, she rose to her almost invisible feet, eyes closed. Her lucid body was covered by a sea green gown and a glowing red orb rested on the collar. Her hazel-red eyes snapped open and she brushed her hair back, sighing, _"Humans… it's been centuries since they've come to me."_

"I—It… w-wha…" Yosuke stuttered over his words, just as shocked as the rest of them. The ghostly woman looked around, frowning.

"_I thought I sensed them, but… it's their children and his descendants," _the woman said, tilting her head as she pondered, _"Can't believe I was sent back and can't say 'hi' and 'thank you for taking care of me'. Where could those two be?"_

"E-Excuse me… W-Who are you?" Rise asked nervously. The hazel-red eyes glanced over at Rise and the woman's face turned serious.

"_Kanzeon, you don't remember me?"_

"…! T-That's not my--- my persona!?" Rise exclaimed.

The woman turned to Souji, staring at him, _"Izanagi… tell me you remember me. You and your siblings always played around on my roots. Your mother always came here to relax and so did your father."_

"_**Mother…"**_

"_It's the Great Tree from the prophecies…"_

_He turned, finding the woman staring at him. Her silver hair shimmered in the sun and her deep blue eyes twinkled as she turned red. He felt himself smile and rest a hand on her stomach. She rested her own hand on his and they both felt a kick._

"_You can take shelter here when I search for others…" he whispered, turning completely towards her, "However, that shall be later. I will not miss our first child or the others when they are born."_

"_Mhmm… may the Great Tree give our children blessing…"_

The Great Tree…

"Yggdrasil…" Souji murmured, but he was confused. Whose memory had that been? No time to ponder as the spirit smiling ecstatically, her wings fluttering.

"_By the Heavens that bless me with my true name, I knew you would remember me Izanagi!"_ the spirit cried happily, _"You were practically raised in my roots. You were their first little baby and weren't you just the most adorable little thing."_

"… Sensei, I descended from you?" Teddie questioned, looking over at him. Souji blinked and shook his head quickly.

"No, you were descended from Izanagi just like everyone else here basically…" He placed a hand on his chin, thinking, "Maybe that's why I keep seeing everything, but I still don't understand. Why has this all happened?"

"… _You must be wondering about the divide," _the Yggdrasil spirit said. The investigation group looked at the spirit, confused. She frowned, closing her eyes, _"I can't remember it too clearly, but it happened some time after some of your siblings found a pathway to the Netherworld. It was supposed to remain sealed forever, but it opened and several of your siblings learned dark secrets. Some handled it well, but others didn't. Izanami tried to keep it from getting to her, but between that and creating more gods, she finally snapped somewhere. Unfortunately, I was sealed away when the main event happened and only came to when your father returned to my roots. He was enraged, lost, and distressed after being betrayed by his own child. I never saw your mother again and now he's losing his sanity trying to find her."_

"He's… trying to find her…?" Souji whispered.

Yukiko looked at the Yggdrasil spirit with her hands clasped together, "Yggdrasil-sama, we need that crystal. It's the only way we can end his rampage. It holds a secret that might let us save him."

"_Hmm… I've held onto my psypher for years, but it is the only way to control the Desecrator," _Yggdrasil said, nodding as she spoke, _"And collecting souls… maybe…"_

With a soft slithering creak, the roots unwrapped from the crystal, depositing it in the spirit's hands. The small balls of light didn't react as she handed it to Souji this time and she smiled at him gently, _"Izanagi, lead your descendants, save the crownless lords and bring peace back to this world and the human world."_

"Of course," he replied, nodding once to her. Her smile widened and she floated into the sky.

"_You should hurry," _Yggdrasil said, slowly starting to fade away, _"He'll be lost forever and nothing will stop him soon."_

Souji nodded. Yukiko smiled, "Thank you, Mercedes…"

The spirit's eyes widened briefly, but then she smiled softly. Her wings flapped once, twice, and she disappeared into the tree with a faint sigh of content. Their eyes didn't leave the spot for several minutes, but slowly, they all looked away. Souji's eyes fell to the brilliant red crystal, or psypher, as he turned it over in his hands slowly. It was surprisingly light despite its size as it rested in his palms and he didn't hear any more yells from it.

He didn't hear himself gasp, but for a moment, he felt warm, enveloped by warm arms. It passed through him quickly and the leaves and branches overhead rattled at a particularly strong gust of wind. It fled over the _leaves and fields, rippling the lakes and rivers. The television tower rattled and the screen swam as it disappeared inside. Elizabeth and Margaret raised their heads while Igor closed his eyes. Kanji snapped awake in his hospital room, noticing a black feather blow past the window. Naoto watched the leaves swirl in her wheelchair, a blue feather catching her attention._

_The soccer ball Daisuke had been juggling hit the ground as he looked up and Kou followed his eyes to the sky. Ai stopped mid-sentence, turning in the same direction both Kou and Daisuke looked. Yumi froze in the middle of a math problem and Ayane cut her note short, lowering her trombone. They both looked out the window, blinking. The fox stood on the shrine, its amber eyes staring high into the sky. Naoki paused on his way home and stared ahead, turning slowly as a feather brushed his cheek. Eri and Yuuta paused on their way home from daycare, their hands tightening their hold as they looked in the distance._

_Hisano looked out the window in her daughter's kitchen, her eyes locking on a purple feather. She smiled a bit at the sign. Even further from Japan, Sayoko set the clipboard down and gazed at the horizon. Something was happening?_

_Dojima sighed, reaching blindly to drink his coffee, but paused, raising an eyebrow. He turned and picked up the blue feather he noticed from the corner of his eye, but it disappeared in his hand. At the Dojima Residence, Nanako place her hands on her chest, covering her heart. She closed her eyes and a woman smiled, "I need to remain with you for a while. Please, is it alright young one?"_

"_U-Uh huh," Nanako said, but she was nervous and a little mystified. She asked quietly, "What's your name?"_

_The woman continued to smile, "My name is…"_

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Me: You can probably figure it out. Please review.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

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Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 16

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He couldn't waste time with the crystal now in the real world. It was already dangerous enough that he and the others had some mysterious scent on them that the Shadow creature could hone in on. "It's a little late to be going to the shopping district though, isn't it?" Chie asked, frowning. Rise shook her head.

"The stores are still closing up right now. Besides, some of us have to go to the shopping district to go home."

"Yeah, but what if this person who needs the crystal is asleep already?" Yosuke asked, rubbing his sore shoulder as they stepped out of Junes. Why didn't he bring any painkillers with him? He sighed as they stopped at near Deidara's. Weird, but Souji was spacing out and just standing there. It wasn't the first time any of them had seen this. He did it before inside of the television near the railings; his eyes unfocused and his body just seemed to stop.

"I-I don't think he should take this long," Rise said, frowning, "I know my shop's right down there, but I have a bad feeling…"

"I did have this cold shock run down my spine a second ago," Chie commented, frowning and looking around.

"Maybe we should snap him out of his trance," Yukiko said, turning to the others. One by one, they nodded and Teddie stepped forward. He blinked, noticing something wrong.

His blue eyes widened, "W-Whhhaaaa! Where did the crystal go!? It disappeared into thin air!"

"Oui… now he's seeing things. Teddie, you need some more rest like Yosuke," Chie sighed and walked over to shake Souji awake. Yosuke opened his mouth to protest, but froze as a chain flickered into his vision. It wrapped tightly around a black claw inches away from Souji's head, but the teen didn't notice, his eyes still empty. The shadow was pulled back and down to the ground, a red cloak filling their vision beside Souji.

"Why are you just standing there!?" Velvet snapped, pulling her chain back and holding it at the ready as she glanced back at them. Before any of them could speak, she gasped, "Y-You couldn't have… you found the psypher!?"

"We did, but Souji-senpai…" Rise started. Velvet moved fast, grabbed Souji despite his dazed state and shoved him to Yukiko. She jumped, almost falling as Souji landed on her, his eyes flicking quickly as he regained consciousness.

Velvet's chain snapped against the cement as the Shadow leapt overhead, claws pointing toward Yosuke. His eyes widened, but fortunately, Chie pulled him aside just for a few strands were cut off. He cried out in shock and Velvet yelled, "This way! Hurry!"

"What?! But Margaret said we need to…!"

"Tell us when we get to safety!" Yukiko butted in, but then leered at him, "And who is Margaret?!"

"S-Someone who knows about the crystal, that's it!" Souji exclaimed as they ran. Yosuke was running with all his might, but he was definitely lagging behind, cringing as pain continuously lanced through his back. The flaming shadow was getting closer to him. Souji gritted his teeth and paused, raising a hand as his personas shuffled, "Cerberus! Get Yosuke!"

"Cerberu--- Ah!"

Muscles rippled under its silk fur as Cerberus bounded after the others, Yosuke on his spiny back, jaws opened wide as it let out an annoyed growl. Yosuke gawked, "S-Since when could you summon out of the television?"

"We all can, but now doesn't seem the time!"

Velvet turned a corner sharply and they followed, pausing when she did. When Teddie was about to ask what was going on, she shook her head, pressing a finger against her lips, signaling him to be quiet. She stood in front of them, making them stay still in the alleyway. The shadow appeared, growling, eyes darting around as flames crackled from his body. Yukiko's breathing clipped and Rise covered her mouth to keep from squeaking. Teddie shook, standing closer to Cerberus while Yosuke gnashed his teeth. Souji's eyes turned to slits as he leered at the creature. Rising to its feet, it leapt high and bolted over the roofs.

"… the barrier worked… come," Velvet sighed, turning and walking further down the alley. Souji stared, but then nodded to the others, following the woman without a word. They had never been over here before in Inaba so when a small house came into view, they couldn't help but wonder when it had been built. The door swung open and a man raced out. Neatly groomed blonde hair that reached towards his shoulders, blue almost gray eyes locked solely on Velvet, this newcomer wore a loose green dress shirt and baggy black pants which he seemed unaccustomed too.

"Velvet, he drew close to the barrier!" he gasped, eyes wide, but he blinked, puzzled as Velvet closed her eyes.

"He was chasing these children. `Twas necessary to lose him," she muttered, but then shook her head, "It's getting worse. I'm afraid soon his condition will never reverse. `Tis something only my sister would be able to contain…"

The man frowned, shaking his head. His eyes drifted over to Souji and the others now, his eyebrows rising, "Peculiar auras surround them…"

"They are the answer," she whispered, looking back now. She turned fully, lowering her chain, "This is my husband, Cornelius."

"Ah, pleasure to meet you, great descendants," Cornelius said, smiling. Souji didn't notice, but color bloomed over Chie, Rise, and Yukiko's faces. "`Tis not a comfortable situation to make acquaintances, but it could be worse. Come, make yourselves at home. Velvet told me we were to speak when you arrived."

Souji was surprised at Cornelius's courteously and lead his small team wordlessly after the couple.

oOoOoOo

The single-floor house was filled with antiques kept in high quality condition. Shelves were filled with books, decorated boxes with intricate carvings, small swords, gems, scrolls, items Souji would've only suspected to see in a museum. There were a few modern things such as a tea pot, stove, sink, and cabinets, but not anything really electrical. Cornelius led them to their dining room and went to prepare some tea. Velvet had removed her red cloak and Yosuke's face burned as he looked away. Souji blinked, but then nodded. Right, Yosuke never saw Velvet under her cloak… or with her hair undone. It spilled to her lower back as she took a seat at the table, a head dress black scarf and stars holding it down.

They joined her at the table, leaving the spot next to her for Cornelius when he returned. Her eyes drifted to Yukiko as she asked, "Did you read everything?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I did," Yukiko said just as Cornelius walked back in with a tray of steaming tea. He set it down on the table, handing them out before sitting down himself.

"Velvet told me about these books. There was a strange fellow that did record everything though I never really got his name," he said, frowning slightly, "I thought they were lost long ago, but stranger has happened."

Rise nervously raised a hand. Velvet and Cornelius nodded and she stood up, "Uh… how exactly did you two live for so long? Actually, how did any of you?"

"`Tis the Pooka's curse," Cornelius replied, "It was only recently broken. That and… we are not really bound by the rules of this realm."

Velvet dropped her gaze to the table, "Yes… this isn't our home. Izanami divided us from our land and our friends after she lost herself."

"Lost herself? To Yomi, right?" Chie asked. She was going off the mythological retelling of Izanagi and Izanami. Velvet nodded slightly.

"If Yomi is what you call the Netherworld then, yes," she sighed and closed her eyes, "This is a long story, but is necessary to tell you. Will you listen?"

Souji raised his head and nodded curtly, "Of course."

"Then I will begin at the story's end," she said and closed her eyes. "Centuries ago, Erion was at its end. The prophesied Armageddon was coming to peak. The land was dead, barren as its life was sucked dry. All of the psyphers were sacrificed so the land could be reborn and ruled by the crownless lords. One was my half-sister, a valkyrie named Gwendolyn. Her opposite was her husband, the Shadow Knight Oswald. Erion was indeed reborn and they were too… repopulate the world."

A round of blushing as Velvet cleared her throat, signaling them to grow up even though her cheeks were faintly red too. She cooled herself, "I was cursed as a Pooka as was Cornelius, but we could watch over them still. Everything was well until several of the children found the entrance to the Netherworld. The King and Queen of the Dead were long since gone, but their powers remained. Those very powers latched to the children and Oswald wasn't pleased. His own cursed life as the Shadow Knight had been caused by the Queen. He demanded they never return to that place.

"Unfortunately, as the kids grew, their magic potential increased. They 'created' humans through spells and more gods as humans put it nowadays. Everything as the books this era say are mostly true," Velvet whispered, "However, they failed to mention that, while Izanagi wanted to trap Izanami behind the boulder after she became a dominion of the Netherworld, his love was too much. She came back and separated the humans from gods before turning on her parents."

Teddie's eyes widened as several things started to click. Velvet's hands turned white as she clenched her hand tightly, "She cursed her father again with his demonic form and sealed him away before turning on her mother. Weakened as she was, Izanami sealed her away too; her body and soul separated. Out of control, Izanami then turned on the humans, but Izanagi rose, angered that she could do such a thing. Other gods rose and bound her beyond the reaches of man. For safety, the others who had received the Netherworld's power shut themselves away as well. The world in which Izanami remained is our true home of Erion. And now, with Izanami's seal on him broken, Oswald will destroy everything until he finds Gwendolyn."

Souji stared, his eyes widening slightly, but then, it happened again.

"_Izanami! How could you do this!?" he snarled, grip tightening on the spear he held as it glowed brightly. He could see the forms from the corner of his eye. His father had been writhing in pain moments ago, but now he was very still. His mother was next to him, silver hair spilled around her prone figure. Her body was slowly disappearing from the plane of reality just as her consciousness did. His body trembled with anger, his children Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi, and Susano-o standing next to him, silent, but waiting to attack. Nyx was shaking, for the first time, rattled by the events while Erebus growled in annoyance, holding her hand._

"If we can…"

Souji snapped his head, trembling as Velvet's voice brought him back to reality.

"… We need to find Gwendolyn," she said, looking around.

Yosuke frowned, "Where do we begin on that?"

"We can sense her," Cornelius replied, "She's somewhere in this town, but it's difficult to make out. It's almost like she's in several locations at once."

"… If Izanami wanted to keep Gwendolyn and Oswald from getting back together, maybe she broke apart her soul?" Yukiko suggested, "W-well… I'm just saying it could be a possibility. Is there someone who you sense her from strongly?"

Cornelius and Velvet exchanged looks for a moment, but then their eyes fell to Souji. She bowed her head, thinking, "It must be Izanagi we're sensing though… However, either it's him or yourself that exudes her aura."

"`Tis also possible that he's been around someone else with her aura too and quite frequently at that…" Cornelius said, "It's difficult to say. The aura seems innocent much as your sister was, but it's… young, like that of a child."

Souji blinked, "A child? …!!" He leapt out of his chair and ran over to the door, startling the other occupants.

"Sensei! Where are you…!?"

"Nanako's in trouble!" he snapped before bolting into the streets. He didn't want to think what would happen if he didn't make it in time. _'Nanako!'_

oOoOoOo

Me: Please review. (Note: Updates are slowing down because of college.)


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 17

oOoOoOo

The door slid open with a bang…

_The door slid open with a bang…_

Souji ran into the Dojima Residence, "Nanako!"

_Nanako ran into the abandoned shop, "Oswald-san!"_

Blood pounded as he looked around, finding neither hide nor hair of his young cousin. His eyes were dilated as he spun around the room, trying to deny the truth. She had to be here! She wasn't supposed to be going out at nighttime! The television was off, the table as he left it this morning, and a note was… He seized the note under the cushion Nanako usually sat on; reading it quickly, but the words didn't extinguish his panic.

"_I'm going to Junes for some food for dinner. Be back later!"_

"S-Souji…!" Yosuke exclaimed as they finally reached the door. Souji turned sharply, holding the note in his fist.

_Red eyes darted up, but he didn't rise from his knees. Flames burned under his armor as he panted, straining to get up and to maintain his human form, but it was difficult. Nanako hugged him around the middle as he growled, losing control. She cried, "Fight it, Oswald-san!"_

"Nanako!"

Great, now they were all on the streets, but he wasn't going to let Nanako get hurt, or worse. They broke up amongst the residential area to look around faster, but it was no use. They would have to keep moving until they checked Inaba completely.

"Souji-san?"

Naoki was standing next to the liquor store, watching as he ran by, but both jumped at a scream. Souji's heart pounded and he darted off just in time to see something make the color drain from his face. The black figure and Nanako, standing on a roof top. The red eye glowed brightly enough for Souji to make out the blood on Nanako's cheek and the front of her clothes. Her eyes were shut; he couldn't stop the hatred in his chest bursting out, "DAMN YOU!"

A blast of fire raced to the figure, but missed as it jumped, Nanako still in its hold as it landed on the street before him. Wind surged next, but it bunkered low, one clawed hand digging into the asphalt. It was barely pushed back 3 feet with Nanako still in its grip. "Let go of her!" he yelled, ready to summon again, but froze. Nanako trembled as she opened her eyes, gasping when she spotted him.

"Big bro!" she exclaimed, sounding both relieved and nervous. The black arm was around her, but she was holding onto the flaming creature as well. She bit her lip before yelling, "He's in pain, Big bro! He doesn't want to fight anymore!"

"Oswald!"

The others had finally caught up. It was Velvet who had called out to the shadow and Nanako blinked, "Y-You know Oswald-san?"

"… Velvet, that little girl…" Cornelius started. Velvet nodded back, silent as she examined the situation. Oswald had made no signs of recognizing them, scarlet eyes darting around as they stood before him.

"How can we get her back?"

Souji looked back out of the corner of his eyes, scowling, "You mean Gwendolyn? … She's really inside my cousin?"

"Yes, but her spirit is still ripped asunder. The pieces must be close by for her to pick your cousin though," Velvet murmured.

"That's our cue, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is, sister…"

Shock was easily noticeable on everyone's face as Margaret and Elizabeth materialized almost out of thin air. Each had their respective Compendium tucked under their arms while between them was the red psypher Souji had delivered earlier. Oswald released Nanako without a word, glaring at the two velvet women with distain. Margaret sighed, "As figured. He shows hostility to the psypher. He must believe she must remain in here."

"Ah, but the psypher calls souls to it…" Elizabeth said. Her amber eyes flitted down to Nanako, "My… young child. Do you mind standing a little over here? There is something that must be done."

"Uh…" Nanako was hesitant, "Will it hurt?"

"Not at all… it will be the opposite," Elizabeth said. Nanako tilted her head, but slowly approached them. Together, Elizabeth and Margaret raised the psypher high.

"How did they find that?" Velvet gasped under her breath, "It disappeared into the other world centuries ago."

Souji was about to answer, but psypher flashed suddenly, making his words die in his throat. It was faint, but he felt a faint tug in the back of his skull and his ears rang as glass shattered. Red surrounded his feet as Izanagi-no-Okami appeared behind him. More breaking announced the others unconsciously summoning their personas too. They watched as the usual forms twisted and changed as the psypher flashed again. Armor stripped to simple clothes, mechanical attachments melded against skin as they appeared, claws receded, masks disappeared…

Souji's eyes widened to see the strong jaw line and face of Izanagi-no-Okami. His sharp red eyes looked ahead, his thin lips in a line as he stared at Oswald. He drew a hand into his coat, raising it as he pulled something out. It appeared to be a bright blue feather in his fist. He let go and it twisted in the air, getting pulled towards the psypher, but then diverted, disappearing against Nanako. Turning back, Souji saw the others gawking at their personas now turned human.

Amaterasu glowed brilliantly in her hikizuri, her white hair exhibiting a heavenly light. Her pale hand appeared from her sleeve and she released a purple feather to the air. Susano-o's wild black and red hair fell over his bare shoulders, stopping in the middle of his back. He swung his head a bit, stormy blue eyes glancing around. With a tight lip, he reached to the band on his hakama, pulling out a black feather. Near him, a hand holding her double bladed naginata to the side, Suzuka Gongen gazed forward, her armor rattling as she raised her fisted gloved hand. The fingers uncurled to release a purple feather.

Kamui threw his hands high with a bright grin, releasing a blue feather while Kanzeon shifted in her flowing robes to draw out another feather. Velvet was confused, but Yukiko watched, "Could those feathers be…?"

Nanako placed her hands over her heart, closing her eyes as she listened to someone whisper to her ear. A ring of blue appeared at her feet, but it was dim. She opened her eyes, "Big bro, there's still more missing."

"Yes… her aura is getting stronger, but it's still fractured," Cornelius murmured, gasping as two more feathers flew overhead. Yosuke and Chie turned back to see a regal prince with neatly groomed silver hair and bright blue eyes walking forward while next to him was a giant wielding a flaming sword.

"Yamato-Takeru! Rokuten Maoh!" Rise exclaimed and then jumped, "Naoto-kun! Kanji! You should still be in the hospital!"

"We'll go back later…"

Kanji had spoken from behind the two humanized personas. Bandages were tight around his chest and torso, but he seemed to be moving without difficultly. Then again, he was probably spurred into motivation due to Naoto being on his back still in a hospital gown. Sure, she had pulled on a shirt, but she was still under orders not to try walking on her own yet. Kanji shifted a bit, the red on his cheeks noticeable, "They told us to come 'ere… but we weren't the only ones comin' this way."

"… What do you mean? We're the only persona-users in town," Chie said, confused. Souji was befuddled as well, but cards whirled in his mind.

"Souji!"

"…!? Dojima-san!" Naoto yelled, startled at the detective's arrival. He wasn't alone. An ancient looking figure approached with him. Long white hair and beard to match with the wrinkled face, the man released his hold on a sheathed sword on his hip only to release a dark purple feather. Nanako's eyes widened.

"D-Dad? You too?"

Dojima shook his head, "I didn't know… he - well, his name's Väinämöinen – just appeared in the office and said we needed to help."

There was a proud yip on a rooftop nearby and Yosuke's jaw dropped, "Are you--- the Fox too!?"

The Fox's ears twitched as it sat there, staring down at them. A pale woman giggled, stroking the head of another fox with her as well as the shrine fox before letting go of the black feather she held onto. _"From Inari to you, mother," _the woman whispered before her attention returned to the foxes.

"Remus!"

"Romulus!"

Two men stopped on the other side, causing Oswald to growl in irritation. The two men looked down, but then back as Daisuke and Kou came over, shaking their heads. Kou crossed his arms, "You two… just appearing and telling us to move i--- Hey! Souji! What's going on man?"

"Yeah. These two told us to come here," Daisuke said, but then raised an eyebrow as both Romulus and Remus released black feathers.

"Hm… so, this is what you wanted me to see?"

Souji looked over his shoulder to see Naoki walking alongside a blindfolded man that seemed to be holding a small plant in one hand while his other held a purple feather. Naoki watched the feather fly over to Nanako before explaining, "Hodr… he told me to come here some time after you ran past."

"_And Lady Hisano couldn't come herself…."_

A woman garbed in a black cloak with dark hair and equally dark eyes appeared by the foxes and Inari. Her white hand appeared from the darkness, letting go of a bright blue feather. For some reason, the name Hel came to Souji's mind just as a strange creature landed next to Elizabeth. The head of a woman, the body of a lioness, and wings of a falcon, its jaws deposited a violet-blue feather.

Petals flew into the scene and a hauntingly beautiful woman appeared in the whirlwind. Her delicate hand reached forward and let go of another black feather.

"Mister!"

"Shu?"

"Yeah!" the young boy called back, pushing his glasses up a bit. He gave a start at the sight of the other personas, not in the least bit glancing back at the warrior besides him. Bow and arrows over its shoulder and a sword in hold, its other hand relinquishing another feather while Souji thought fast. If he was correct then…

"Hey, Souji. This… what in the world?!"

As if on cue, Ai walked forward with a huntress by her side. She frowned and looked at the woman, "What exactly is…?"

"_In due time,"_ the huntress replied as a feather escaped her grasp. The blue circle was growing around Nanako, but she remained still, glancing at everything. How was this going to help Oswald?

"S-Senpai!"

Ayane's voice broke the night and her shoes clicked as she stopped nearby. Naoto raised her eyes to the elegant woman in white by Ayane's side, but the pierced cat ears and ringed tail caused her to blink, unsure if she was seeing things. The woman's ears flicked and her hand uncurled for another feather.

"That just leaves Yumi…" Souji muttered.

"You said my name?"

Yumi was there, smiling with another woman by her side. The woman set down a golden urn, smiling as she reached into a satchel on her hip. She freed the final feather and the city faded around them. As it disappeared into Nanako, the young girl gasped, shutting her eyes again. Elizabeth and Margaret lowered the psypher and stepped away as the circle flickered and expanded. An unseen gust whipped everyone's hair and clothes as the blue became blinding.

Souji stared, feeling the Justice card spin uncontrollably before settling on Empress and then shifting to The World.

The black flames engulfing Oswald expanded in the darkness, but as the light grew, it weakened. Everyone save the personas shielded their eyes, but could hear Nanako's voice clearly.

"World's mother… Come to me, Gwendolyn!"

oOoOoOo

Me: Listing the new personas as they came. Väinämöinen, Inari, Romulus and Remus, Hodr, Hel, Sphinx, Blodeuedd, Ninurta, Artemis, Bast, and Saule. Anyway, next chapter and a final for a conclusion I suppose. Ahaha… school eats your life. Please review…


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 18

oOoOoOo

Feathers… That's what Souji mostly remembered as he lowered his arms; a plethora of black, purple, and blue feathers curling into the sky, affixing themselves firmly as the woman appeared. Platinum silver hair fanned behind her as she opened her deep blue eyes, more feathers appearing behind her ears. Pale hands took hold of her dress as it appeared over her body and her wings flapped once under the folds. Without a sound, she landed on the ground behind Nanako and the wings folded, disappearing under her dress as she straightened herself. Nanako turned slowly and looked up, blinking in wonder while everyone else was silent.

"G-Gwendolyn…" Velvet finally said lowering herself to her knees, "Y-You're truly back… after so many years."

"It has been long, hasn't it," Gwendolyn whispered, her hands clasped together as they rested against her dress, "Ever since Izanami's betrayal… the Netherworld's power corrupted her. I should've known she couldn't handle it and yet…" She bowed her head, but then raised herself, looking around. She smiled, "My, everyone's grown so much. I hope you have all been well…"

"M-Mother…"

Souji blinked and glanced up at Izanagi-no-Okami. He looked abashed, lowering his red eyes to the ground. Gwendolyn sighed, "Izanagi, don't blame yourself. Besides, now is probably not the best time to discuss this."

She pulled Nanako behind her as she turned her focus on the black flames. Oswald had been standing there for some time without a sound, his scarlet eyes wide in disbelief. Yukiko frowned, "Shouldn't he have changed back now?"

"`Tis a cursed form brought upon by a spell. It has to be broken by another spell as well," Gwendolyn said, shaking her head, "It would be possible if I was at full strength, but not like this… Maybe I could use the psypher. The souls accumulated could provide enough power to remove Izanami's spell."

"It could, but it takes time to prepare the spell and then you must aim it, as well. You'll only have one shot," Velvet said, approaching Gwendolyn, "He's too powerful to contain for long, but I'm willing to try…"

The mother frowned, but was about to nod when a sharp clang drew her and Velvet's attention. Izanagi had his spear raised, blocking blackened claws from striking the women. Souji gritted his teeth. Even in that form, any damage to the persona hurt him in consequence. It was nothing, though, if it meant ending this. He clenched his teeth, but then yelled, "Izanagi-No-Okami, I'm willing to help!"

"I know your resolve, Seta-san," Izanagi said coolly, knocking Oswald away, "And I'm grateful for your strength. Assist me then; help me save my father's sanity."

"Of course!"

"Hey! Don't leave us out!"

Souji didn't know who yelled, but the moment Susano-o made a step forward, Izanagi barred his path, shaking his head as he tightened his grip, "Protect Mother and the others. I'll handle this."

"Don't be a fool, Izanagi…" Inari called from her spot, her fox and the shrine fox next to her as she glowered. Izanagi was about to reply, but he was cut off, barely deflecting the next series of attacks. He spun the spear as necessary, dodging to the side as Oswald sprang overhead, claws swinging. Izanagi's brows furrowed and he blinked as several stands of hair fell before his eyes. He didn't realize how close the attack had been…

Yamato-Takeru and Rokuten Maoh sprang forward suddenly, impeding Oswald from Nanako, Gwendolyn and Velvet. The regal prince hissed slightly, pulling back as his arm was nicked by the claws. Rokuten Maoh forced Oswald back, placing himself before Yamato-Takeru and stood guard, eyes blazing. Yukiko casted her eyes towards Naoto and Kanji, waving a hand, "Naoto-kun, don't let Yamato fight!"

"We must help somehow…!" Naoto called back, but she had been physically weakened. Both her persona and Kanji's were reflecting their weariness from the hospital still.

"Come back here!" Izanagi exclaimed, switching to offense and springing at Oswald's black form. Amaterasu and Susano-o shielded Gwendolyn. Margaret and Elizabeth appeared in a moment next to the world mother, amber eyes flashing.

"This is dangerous," Margaret murmured.

Elizabeth smiled coyly, "But we must follow our destiny, sister." They opened their books as Gwendolyn opened her hands. Elizabeth deposited the psypher in her palms, nodding as she returned to her book. Velvet stepped forward and all four no longer concentrated on the battle, but the red crystal as it started to shine.

Arrows hailed from Artemis's bow and the huntress seized Ai, pulling her out of harm's way as Oswald remained on the offensive, claws lashing out as he avoiding Izanagi's attacks. Hel picked up Kou and Daisuke while Remus and Romulus sprung forward to intercept the next attack. Both rolled aside as Izanagi almost hit them instead.

"Souji! Be careful!" Kou exclaimed.

Souji frowned, "He's too fast…"

Bluebell flames startled the black shadow and Inari's pale fox appeared, fangs snapping at the demon. Claws swung back, but the fox weaved around, flashing as it attacked again and again, lithely slipping around Oswald like a snake. Blodeuedd, Saule, and Bast turned towards Izanagi, each casting Tarukaja, Sukukaja, and Rakukaja respectively. Inari's fox slithered out of harm's way just as Izanagi swung at Oswald. The attack connected, but it wasn't enough to stop his father.

Ayane gasped, startled as the black form charged towards her, but the sphinx landed before her, roaring and flaring its wings as it blocked him. Väinämöinen blocked the cursed man from escaping passed Dojima while Hodr and Ninurta kept him from escaping by Naoki and Shu. Suzuka Gongen forced Oswald back with a wild swing and stepped forward. The personas had encircled both Izanagi and Oswald, prepared to do what they must if he tried fleeing the charging spell again.

"How much longer?" Yosuke asked his whole body tense as he looked over at Cornelius.

Cornelius shook his head, "It won't be long now, but Izanagi needs to stop him for the spell to connect."

"Souji…" Yosuke started, turning back towards Souji. He wasn't paying attention. Scarlet eyes locked with blazing red. Oswald faced Izanagi, rising a little more to his feet, but still retaining a slight hunch forward. His hands were shaking as his claws flexed and snapped back open. Izanagi scowled, his brows furrowing as he brought his spear forward. Both combatants circled around, watching the other closely.

The first movement was sharp, abrupt from both sides as they collided together. Silver claws caught black while the spear crashed together with the other black claw. The power between the two exuded a minor shockwave, stirring the limbo world's air and endless earth. They split apart, Oswald springing back into the fight the moment his feet brushed the ground. Izanagi spun his spear, blocking both claws now, but his arms bent back. The tips of the claws pierced his coat, but he forced the flaming mass away before the claws could go any further.

Izanagi raised a hand, casting Ziodyne several times, but his spear had to be raised again as Oswald bolted through the smoke rising from the struck spots. Swipes were exchanged as they moved around again, the personas encircling them acting as a barrier so neither could escape.

"There's nowhere else to go, father…" Izanagi said, pointing the bladed end towards Oswald, "Now just stay still."

There was no response as the shadow glanced around, scarlet eyes glowing brighter before another leap. Izanagi scowled and defended, eyes widening as his father dropped last second and kicked at his mid-section in a spin. Staggering back, he barely pulled himself around the claws, but was still caught on his left leg. Fortunately, it was minor injury not crippling. Lifting himself to full height again with his spear as support, Izanagi's hands glowed for a second before the battle continued.

Souji panted as he watched the combatants from outside the circle, everything actually moving faster than it appeared inside. He saw each strike, counter, block, and dodge as the two moved like fevered animals. He hissed under his breath as Izanagi strained to defend. The spear was cracking in Izanagi's grasp, but he was able to push off Oswald before it snapped. With a flick of his wrist, Izanagi tossed the spear to Amaterasu, his bare hands in their clawed gloves glowing as both lashed at each other now. Silver against black, flaming darkness against the blinding white as the combatants swung and collided again, parting for a split second before leaping at each other again; Souji didn't know how Izanagi was feeling, but he was exhausted. Every attack against the opponent made it feel like his skin was going to tear off his body. He glanced down and saw his fingers and leg bleeding. He gritted his teeth and steeled himself, but the whole concept of fighting until Oswald was down wasn't working. Only grappling halted his…

"Izanagi…!"

His silver orbs widened while red eyes flickered. Claws met again and both tightened their holds trying to force the other back. Souji could feel the back of his hands break open and the blood flow slowly over his knuckles. Cornelius looked over at Gwendolyn. The red crystal was gone; Inari and her fox were channeling the souls as they floated around the personas and fighters now, the small will-o-wisps haunting in their appearance as they waited. They all glowed red as Gwendolyn nodded, "It's ready."

"Seta-san, I can handle it if you can…" Izanagi whispered. So, he understood as well. Souji took a deep breath and nodded once. The others only blinked as Izanagi-no-Okami pushed and broke his hold, letting Oswald charge in. Souji grunted as the next attack landed, red blooming swiftly at his waist and reaching to his right ribcage. He coughed a spray of blood, his knees shaking as his legs threatened to give out. Izanagi groaned, but his hold on Oswald was secure as he gripped his wrist and shoulder.

"Use the spell and don't worry about us!" Izanagi hollered.

Gwendolyn was horrified, but she shook her head and raised her hands. The will-o-wisps started swirling, bypassing the persona barrier, moving faster and faster as they closed in on Izanagi and Oswald. Oswald tried to break free now, but Izanagi's claws were burrowed firmly in the mass of black, holding him still. The first soul came forward, counteracting the flame and revealing a strip of dark armor. Another clashed with the crown of gray flames revealing several pale strains of white hair. A single one removed the scarlet-eyed mask to tanned skin and ruby red eyes. They widened and the shadow retracted his clawed hands. Izanagi released his own hold and took a knee while the barrage of souls continued to strike.

The flames were removed, strip after strip, leaving black armor, silver spikes and shoulder plates with clovers engraved in the center. Oswald looked back, his eyes gleaming, still lost under the spell until the final soul slammed into his chest. He balled his hand tightly into a fist, growling as cracks started appearing, stretching from the origin out to his gauntlets and armored boots. He gnashed his teeth, but then yelled as the armor fell to the ground. Red and black smoke hissed as it wound around his body, taking the form of a fanged skeleton before dissipating, leaving the white-haired man panting for breath.

"Izanagi-sama!" Amaterasu exclaimed, running over to Izanagi as the threat passed. Yukiko and Rise ran over to Souji as he clutched his abdomen tightly, gasping for air. He looked up, dull gray eyes darting from Yukiko to Teddie as they knelt near him. He saw the others as they came over, various expressions of anxiety and panic over their faces slowly fading out. Nothing was audible as they spoke and he couldn't make out the personas as they crowded around him. If healing spells were being used, he couldn't feel them. His mind was slipping with his consciousness as he wheezed.

"_Big bro…!"_

"N-Nanako…" he murmured, trying to see her, but his vision was darkening. He watched the others turn their heads and slowly part ways as… someone approached. Souji didn't know anymore. He fell unconscious.

oOoOoOo

Me: Sorry it took so long. School's been eating most of my time, but next week is finals so I'll be able to finish and start something else. I'll change my quota to 2,500 words and see how that goes. More description will be necessary… Anyway, please review.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 belongs to Atlus and Odin Sphere, while published by Atlus, belongs to VanillaWare. I have no rights to them at all.

oOoOoOo

Soul's Nocturne

Chapter 19

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_Heartbreak was never kind. The spear felt heavy in his hands just as his heart did within his chest. He stood up, glancing back at the boulder that separated him and Izanami one final time before proceeding to the Great Tree. The realm, their old home realm, was now her tomb to be forever trapped in. It would disappear soon, leaving the rock to stand as a reminder of the nightmare. She had slain their mother and father; ridding of them without any remorse and cursing both of them as they faded from existence. Izanagi remembered his father's crumpled form before his mother and then had all but blinked to find her knocked down, body no more than a broken doll as it faded. Glancing around, Izanagi stopped near the Great Tree's roots, wondering where his kin had fled to. Had they abandoned him after the fight? Had Izanami sent them away as well in that final attack?_

"_Father…"_

_Izanagi blinked and turned back. Amaterasu's radiant hair gleamed like the early sun's rays, robes shining as she walked over to him with a frown. Behind her was the winded form of Susano-o, his wild hair getting tossed back as he cracked his neck. Tsukiyomi had his arms folded and concealed in his sleeves, dark blue eyes watching Izanagi closely._

"… _Can you sense them?" Izanagi asked quietly, turning away from his three children, "Any of them?"_

_Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi, and Susano-o exchanged looks, but Tsukiyomi shook his head after a moment, "I'm afraid not. The vast sea that surrounds this land speaks of our family's presences fleeing to new locations, but says nothing of their return. They must be in search of your parents as well in this new realm."_

"_Yes. This realm of humans might hold a secret to finding the lords," Amaterasu said, "And we're not the only four on this land surrounded by waves. More of them have hidden after the battle to recuperate. Father, you must rest too."_

"_Yeah. That fight took a lot outta all of us," Susano-o snorted. Izanagi turned to them, raising his head to the sky. Ah… now that he looked at it, this tree wasn't the Great Tree. That serene life was over…_

_Slowly, he shook his head, "No… there's no time to rest. We must see to our relatives' well-being and examine the mortals."His blood-stained spear disappeared as he glanced around, but then he closed his eyes to listen. There were faint whispers over the wind… farewell messages such as the one from Nyx swirling down from the sky beyond earthly bound. She locked herself in the shadow of the moon despite Erebus's howling. Izanagi gritted his teeth, his hands clenched tightly, but then they loosened. His infected siblings were locking themselves away from this new world._

"_Father… do not be sad…"_

_Izanagi gazed at Amaterasu without a word. Slowly, he nodded and turned to the distance, "A brethren calls from the northern lands. Let's go…"_

Souji shifted, his face scrunching from the memories his persona was showing him. He didn't understand why Izanagi would've remembered that right now.

"_Souji-san…"_

Really, couldn't he have normal dreams now? Izanagi got his family was back, didn't he?

"_Shouldn't he have awakened by now?"_

"_After a blow to the gut? Nah… he should stay out longer instead."_

"Mhmgh…" Souji grunted, bending his elbows as he shifted on the chilled ground. Blades of grass cut his fingers as he raised his arms and opened his eyes partially. The sun was too bright despite his hand before his face. When the hell did they go into the television? He closed his eyes again, dropping his hands to his chest and groaned. That wasn't a good move. His body was still aching from the battle.

"Ah! `Tis grand to see you have awakened."

Souji opened one eye and looked to his left where the voice had come from. Indigo eyes locked with his and a smile was adorned on the pale, feminine face. Silver spilled over her shoulders and just tickled his cheek. That feeling disappeared as the woman left and he squinted as the sun bore down again. A new shadow obscured the sun's glare and he blinked several times as a deep voice spoke now, "The wounds weren't as grave as your friends thought. Then again, Izanagi chose to harbor in you so it isn't too surprising."

Souji stared, not saying anything but just looking up. White, wind-swept short hair, crimson eyes similar to Izanagi's and a tanner complexion, the man stared coolly down at Souji. Something was familiar besides the eyes…

"Father, is Seta-san awake?"

The man turned back, "Yes, Izanagi. Your host has awakened."

"He's not my host. We share similar souls."

Izanagi came over and Souji just continued to stare. Besides Izanagi's longer hair, they looked exactly the same; no, scratch that, Izanagi's eyes were slightly lighter as well as softer. The persona turned to Souji and held out a hand, "Let me help you up, Seta-san."

Souji nodded and raised a hand, taking hold of Izanagi's. The god helped Souji to his feet, smiling down at him. Silver eyes darted between the red-eyed father and son. They made him feel short… and a bit nervous. Izanagi blinked, but then smiled sheepishly, "Forgive me, Seta-san. This is my father, Oswald."

A clawed hand was extended in the solemn man's direction and Souji, of course, followed. Oswald stared without saying a word and for a moment, Souji wondered if the warrior was angry. When a hand was before him, he was definitely confused. Grey eyes met red, noticing they had softened as Oswald smiled faintly, "I must thank you. You helped me come back and revived Gwendolyn."

"Oswald-san…" Souji said, not moving. Finally, he smiled a bit and took hold of Oswald's hand, shaking it. At the sound of chains, Souji turned around, watching as Velvet walked over to Gwendolyn. Rising, the ex-valkyrie looked at her half-sister with a smile on her face. Velvet returned it and stepped forward, hugging her sibling.

"Gwendolyn, I'm so glad to see you again," she whispered. Gwendolyn returned the hug happily. They parted after a moment and Gwendolyn approached Izanagi. The god noticed and bowed his head low.

"Mother, I…"

"I told you, Izanagi, don't blame yourself," she scolded, shaking her head, "It was inevitable when the Netherworld was opened. Even though I was lost, I saw your brothers and sisters who were affected disappear. Nyx parted from Erebus, understanding that one day, she would be strong enough to hail death upon the world. Erebus continues trying to reach for her. The only one who seems to have accepted her powers is Hel…"

At her name, the woman garbed in black gazed over at them, her blackened lips curved into a somber grin, "I didn't do anything though. The Queen's cold soul faintly brushed against me. Had I been engulfed like Yomi, I wouldn't be here…"

"Isn't Yomi the name of the underworld?"

Kou had spoken up. Souji had almost forgotten that everyone was there. The Investigation Team had been looking around the television world and explaining it to the new bewildered persona-users. Hel nodded slowly, "Yes, but it is also called by my name and many others. Still, that's missing the point. Yomi was our brother, heavily exposed to the both ancient souls locked in the Netherworld. He lost his form and merged in his maddening shape to the Netherworld's walls. His fall was before Izanami…"

"… Wait, how do you know that?" Susano-o asked, "You were born at the same time as…"

"You're a fool," Hel grumbled, "I'm the fourth child born of the crownless lords. Yomi was one of my younger brothers and one of the first to go insane."

"So many of them lost," Gwendolyn whispered, bowing in head, "Not only that, but they tormented the very humans they created. You must forgive me, children."

"… You know, it's better that life is like this," Souji said, "Makes fighting worth it."

"Makes every day memorable," Yukiko said, smiling.

Chie grinned, "And each friend cherished."

"Still, we didn't wish for history to repeat," Oswald said, walking over to Gwendolyn's side, "Threatening the lives which we wanted only peace to come to after the violence in the past. Both of us have witnessed enough to leave it behind. Now, I will not be able to make up for the recent lives I've taken. Please…"

"We were warriors before parents. Bloodshed shouldn't affect us so, but our existence has caused grief amongst the humans. We disturbed their peace… Maybe it's time we--"

"No!"

Both lords jumped and turned. Both personas and persona-users had yelled, save for Souji and Izanagi. At once, the two were bombarded with protest as they exchanged looks. Souji rolled his eyes and Izanagi looked at his parents, "So, I know you two aren't planning anything too serious, but what will you do now?"

"Well, everyone seems to have adapted to the human realm. We need to rebuild this world again," Oswald said and Gwendolyn blushed brightly.

Izanagi whistled, "So… what? I'm going to have even more younger siblings? Will you want me to come babysit?"

"What? You can visit, but I doubt we'll require… babysitting… what does that mean anyway?" Gwendolyn asked, frowning slightly, "It doesn't sound good for an infant."

"A-Ah, the humans say that. It's another word for caretaker mother," he explained quickly, glancing back at Souji. Sighing, the aged god turned back, scratching his head a bit, "If you're sure, but won't you be building homes or…"

"We can handle it," she said, smiling. Her eyes shifted to the others who had started arguing with each other. Souji rolled his eyes and raised his hand, slipping his thumb and index finger to the corner of his mouth and letting out a shrill whistle. Everyone stopped and he smiled faintly.

"Guys, they're just going to stay here. What are you thinking about?" Souji asked, chuckling. The personas exchanged looks, but Amaterasu moved forward, playing with her sleeves.

"W-Well, we thought they were considering disappearing again or just…" the sun goddess turned scarlet slightly, "We jumped to conclusions. Forgive us. They have the right to do as they wish. Father was just upset when the lords disappeared."

"We've affected the humans enough. This world is ours…" Oswald said.

"Got to hand it to you both, it's a good choice," Yumi said, smiling and looking off into the distance. The sun was starting to set, casting cascades of orange and twilight blue into the sky.

"Will you not come with us?" Gwendolyn asked Velvet.

"Nay, dear sister. We still have matters to complete in the other realm, but we shall return after they are finished," Velvet said, smiling, "I can't leave my students almost mid-year."

"Awee… sensei," Rise said, smiling.

Gwendolyn nodded once, "I understand." She turned, looking at Oswald and raised her hand to the dark knight. He raised his own, taking hold of hers with a faint smile. They made their departure without a word though everyone watched them disappear into the forest. Nanako approached her father with a bright smile.

"Dad, can we visit sometime?" she asked, looking up at Dojima. He raised an eyebrow, but then glanced back at Väinämöinen. The old persona just looked back, shrugging. Souji turned, startled when Teddie latched onto him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you sensei!"

"Y-You're welcome, Teddie! … C-Can't breathe though…" Souji gasped. Kamui had to tug several times to get Teddie to let go. Souji rubbed his throat, blinking when he was approached by Rokuten Maoh and Yamoto Takeru. The prince lowered himself to a knee, head bowed down as he spoke.

"Seta-san… I humbly request we depart for now. Though Amaterasu-sama has tended to Naoto-san she still requires proper rest in the human realm."

This was strange. It was… too polite, but then Souji had to step back as Rokuten Maoh knelt and peered at him closely. The giant's sword was raised in a threatening manner, _"Kanji needs rest as well. We must return now…"_

"Rokuten Maoh, lower your sword," Yamato growled. The giant scowled, but obeyed. Souji took the chance to glance over at Naoto and Kanji. They were sitting on the ground with Ayane and Naoki next to them. Naoto was fighting fatigue, her head nodding and coming to rest on Kanji's shoulder as he spoke to Naoki. Now that Souji looked around, he noticed Ai holding her head while Daisuke and Kou watching her closely. Shu was staring at him drowsily, pushing his glasses up to rub his eyes.

Souji casted his eyes back to the forest, but then faced everyone as he nodded, "Yes. It's about time we go home and rest."

oOoOoOo

Me: One more chapter… one more! *falls*


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